Holman Christian Standard Bible (322 page)

Peter's Sermon

14
 But Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed to them: “Men of Judah and all you residents of Jerusalem, let me explain this to you and pay attention to my words.
15
 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it's only nine in the morning. 
16
 On the contrary, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

22
 “Men of Israel, listen to these words: This Jesus the
•Nazarene
was a man pointed out to you by God with miracles, wonders, and signs that God did among you through Him, just as you yourselves know. 
23
 Though He was delivered up according to God's determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail Him to a cross and kill Him. 
24
 God raised Him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it.
25
 For David says of Him:

29
 “Brothers, I can confidently speak to you about the patriarch David: He is both dead and buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 
30
 Since he was a prophet, he knew that God had sworn an oath to him to seat one of his descendant son his throne. 
31
 Seeing this in advance, he spoke concerning the resurrection of the
•Messiah
:

32
 “God has resurrected this Jesus. We are all witnesses of this.
33
 Therefore, since He has been exalted to the right hand of God and has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, He has poured out what you both see and hear.
34
 For it was not David who ascended into the heavens, but he himself says:

36
 “Therefore let all the house of Israel know with certainty that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah! ” 

Forgiveness through the Messiah

37
 When they heard this, they came under deep conviction and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles: “Brothers, what must we do? ” 

38
 “Repent,” Peter said to them, “and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
39
 For the promise is for you and for your children, and for all who are far off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”
40
 And with many other words he testified and strongly urged them, saying, “Be saved from this corrupt generation! ” 

A Generous and Growing Church

41
 So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about 3,000 people were added to them.
42
 And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching, to the fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to the prayers. 

43
 Then fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being performed through the apostles. 
44
 Now all the believers were together and held all things in common. 
45
 They sold their possessions and property and distributed the proceeds to all, as anyone had a need. 
46
 Every day they devoted themselves to meeting together in the
•temple
complex, and broke bread from house to house. They ate their food with a joyful and humble attitude, 
47
 praising God and having favor with all the people. And every day the Lord added to them those who were being saved. 

Acts

Healing of a Lame Man

3
Now Peter and John were going up together to the
•temple
complex at the hour of prayer at three in the afternoon. 
2
 And a man who was lame from birth was carried there and placed every day at the temple gate called Beautiful, so he could beg from those entering the temple complex. 
3
 When he saw Peter and John about to enter the temple complex, he asked for help.
4
 Peter, along with John, looked at him intently and said, “Look at us.”
5
 So he turned to them, expecting to get something from them.
6
 But Peter said, “I don't have silver or gold, but what I have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ the
•Nazarene
, get up and walk! ” 
7
 Then, taking him by the right hand he raised him up, and at once his feet and ankles became strong.
8
 So he jumped up, stood, and started to walk, and he entered the temple complex with them — walking, leaping, and praising God. 
9
 All the people saw him walking and praising God,
10
 and they recognized that he was the one who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the temple complex. So they were filled with awe and astonishment at what had happened to him. 

Preaching in Solomon's Colonnade

11
 While he was holding on to Peter and John, all the people, greatly amazed, ran toward them in what is called Solomon's Colonnade. 
12
 When Peter saw this, he addressed the people: “Men of Israel, why are you amazed at this? Or why do you stare at us, as though we had made him walk by our own power or godliness?
13
 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, has glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you handed over and denied in the presence of
•Pilate
, when he had decided to release Him.
14
 But you denied the Holy and Righteous One and asked to have a murderer given to you. 
15
 You killed the source of life, whom God raised from the dead; we are witnesses of this. 
16
 By faith in His name, His name has made this man strong, whom you see and know. So the faith that comes through Him has given him this perfect health in front of all of you.

17
 “And now, brothers, I know that you did it in ignorance, just as your leaders also did. 
18
 But what God predicted through the mouth of all the prophets — that His
•Messiah
would suffer — He has fulfilled in this way.
19
 Therefore repent and turn back, so that your sins may be wiped out, that seasons of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 
20
 and that He may send Jesus, who has been appointed for you as the Messiah.
21
 Heaven must welcome Him until the times of the restoration of all things, which God spoke about by the mouth of His holy prophets from the beginning. 
22
 Moses said: 

24
 “In addition, all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those after him, have also announced these days.
25
 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham,
And all the families of the earth will be blessed through your offspring.
26
 God raised up His Servant and sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your evil ways.” 

Acts

Peter and John Arrested

4
Now as they were speaking to the people, the priests, the commander of the temple police, and the
•Sadducees
confronted them, 
2
 because they were provoked that they were teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection from the dead, using Jesus as the example.
3
 So they seized them and put them in custody until the next day, since it was already evening.
4
 But many of those who heard the message believed, and the number of the men came to about 5,000.

Peter and John Face the Jewish Leadership

5
 The next day, their rulers, elders, and
•scribes
assembled in Jerusalem
6
 with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John and Alexander, and all the members of the high-priestly family.
7
 After they had Peter and John stand before them, they asked the question: “By what power or in what name have you done this? ”

8
 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders:
9
 If we are being examined today about a good deed done to a disabled man — by what means he was healed —
10
 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ the
•Nazarene
 — whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead — by Him this man is standing here before you healthy. 
11
 This Jesus is

12
 There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to people, and we must be saved by it.” 

The Name Forbidden

13
 When they observed the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were uneducated and untrained men, they were amazed and recognized that they had been with Jesus. 
14
 And since they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say in response.
15
 After they had ordered them to leave the
•Sanhedrin
, they conferred among themselves,
16
 saying, “What should we do with these men? For an obvious sign, evident to all who live in Jerusalem, has been done through them, and we cannot deny it! 
17
 However, so this does not spread any further among the people, let's threaten them against speaking to anyone in this name again.”
18
 So they called for them and ordered them not to preach or teach at all in the name of Jesus.

19
 But Peter and John answered them, “Whether it's right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; 
20
 for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” 

21
 After threatening them further, they released them. They found no way to punish them, because the people were all giving glory to God over what had been done; 
22
 for this sign of healing had been performed on a man over 40 years old.

Prayer for Boldness

23
 After they were released, they went to their own people and reported everything the
•chief
priests and the elders had said to them.
24
 When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, “Master, You are the One who made the heaven, the earth, and the sea, and everything in them. 
25
 You said through the Holy Spirit, by the mouth of our father David Your servant: 

27
 “For, in fact, in this city both
•Herod
and Pontius
•Pilate
, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, 
28
 to do whatever Your hand and Your plan had predestined to take place.
29
 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and grant that Your
•slaves
may speak Your message with complete boldness, 
30
 while You stretch out Your hand for healing, signs, and wonders to be performed through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”
31
 When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak God's message with boldness.