Acts 4 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,
1 Λαλούντων δὲ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν λαὸν ἐπέστησαν αὐτοῖς οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ ὁ στρατηγὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ οἱ Σαδδουκαῖοι,
2 greatly disturbed that they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.
2 διαπονούμενοι διὰ τὸ διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς τὸν λαὸν καὶ καταγγέλλειν ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν·
3 They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in custody until the next day.
3 καὶ ἐπέβαλον αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ ἔθεντο εἰς τήρησιν εἰς τὴν αὔριον· ἦν γὰρ ἑσπέρα ἤδη.
4 But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.
4 πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν ἀκουσάντων τὸν λόγον ἐπίστευσαν, καὶ ἐγενήθη ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ὡσεὶ χιλιάδες πέντε.
5 The next day the rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem,
5 Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον συναχθῆναι αὐτῶν τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ τοὺς πρεσβυτέρους καὶ γραμματεῖς εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ,
6 along with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and many others from the high priest’s family.
6 καὶ Ἄνναν τὸν ἀρχιερέα καὶ Καϊάφαν καὶ Ἰωάννην καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ ὅσοι ἦσαν ἐκ γένους ἀρχιερατικοῦ,
7 They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
7 καὶ στήσαντες αὐτοὺς ἐν [τῷ] μέσῳ ἐπυνθάνοντο· ἐν ποίᾳ δυνάμει ἢ ἐν ποίῳ ὀνόματι ἐποιήσατε τοῦτο ὑμεῖς;
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people!
8 τότε Πέτρος πλησθεὶς Πνεύματος Ἁγίου εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς· ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ Ἰσραήλ,
9 If we are being examined today about a kind service to a man who was lame, to determine how he was healed,
9 εἰ ἡμεῖς σήμερον ἀνακρινόμεθα ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀσθενοῦς, ἐν τίνι οὗτος σέσωσται,
10 then let this be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
10 γνωστὸν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐν τούτῳ οὗτος παρέστηκεν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ὑγιής.
11 This Jesus is ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
11 οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ λίθος ὁ ἐξουθενηθεὶς ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν τῶν οἰκοδομούντων, ὁ γενόμενος εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας.
12 Salvation exists in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”
12 καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενὶ ἡ σωτηρία· οὐδὲ γὰρ ὄνομά ἐστιν ἕτερον ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανὸν τὸ δεδομένον ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐν ᾧ δεῖ σωθῆναι ἡμᾶς.
13 When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.
13 Θεωροῦντες δὲ τὴν τοῦ Πέτρου παρρησίαν καὶ Ἰωάννου, καὶ καταλαβόμενοι ὅτι ἄνθρωποι ἀγράμματοί εἰσι καὶ ἰδιῶται, ἐθαύμαζον, ἐπεγίνωσκόν τε αὐτοὺς ὅτι σὺν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἦσαν,
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say in response.
14 τὸν δὲ ἄνθρωπον βλέποντες σὺν αὐτοῖς ἑστῶτα τὸν τεθεραπευμένον, οὐδὲν εἶχον ἀντειπεῖν.
15 So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.
15 κελεύσαντες δὲ αὐτοὺς ἔξω τοῦ συνεδρίου ἀπελθεῖν, συνέβαλλον πρὸς ἀλλήλους
16 “What shall we do with these men?” they asked. “It is clear to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable miracle has occurred through them, and we cannot deny it.
16 λέγοντες· τί ποιήσομεν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις; ὅτι μὲν γὰρ γνωστὸν σημεῖον γέγονε δι᾽ αὐτῶν, πᾶσι τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Ἱερουσαλὴμ φανερόν, καὶ οὐ δυνάμεθα ἀρνήσασθαι·
17 But to keep this message from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in this name.”
17 ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον διανεμηθῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν, ἀπειλῇ ἀπειλησώμεθα αὐτοῖς μηκέτι λαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ μηδενὶ ἀνθρώπων.
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
18 καὶ καλέσαντες αὐτοὺς παρήγγειλαν αὐτοῖς τὸ καθόλου μὴ φθέγγεσθαι μηδὲ διδάσκειν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.
19 But Peter and John replied, “Judge for yourselves whether it is right in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God.
19 ὁ δὲ Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀποκριθέντες πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἶπον· εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν ἀκούειν μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κρίνατε.
20 For we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
20 οὐ δυνάμεθα γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἃ εἴδομεν καὶ ἠκούσαμεν μὴ λαλεῖν.
21 After further threats they let them go. They could not find a way to punish them, because all the people were glorifying God for what had happened.
21 οἱ δὲ προσαπειλησάμενοι ἀπέλυσαν αὐτούς, μηδὲν εὑρίσκοντες τὸ πῶς κολάσονται αὐτούς, διὰ τὸν λαόν, ὅτι πάντες ἐδόξαζον τὸν Θεὸν ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι·
22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
22 ἐτῶν γὰρ ἦν πλειόνων τεσσαράκοντα ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐφ᾽ ὃν ἐγεγόνει τὸ σημεῖον τοῦτο τῆς ἰάσεως.
23 On their release, Peter and John returned to their own people and reported everything that the chief priests and elders had said to them.
23 Ἀπολυθέντες δὲ ἦλθον πρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν ὅσα πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι εἶπον.
24 When the believers heard this, they lifted up their voices to God with one accord. “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “You made the heaven and the earth and the sea and everything in them.
24 οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἦραν φωνὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ εἶπον· Δέσποτα, σὺ ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς,
25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of Your servant, our father David: ‘Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?
25 ὁ διὰ στόματος Δαυῒδ παιδός σου εἰπών· ἵνα τί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά;
26 The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against His Anointed One.’
26 παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ.
27 In fact, this is the very city where Herod and Pontius Pilate conspired with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against Your holy servant Jesus, whom You anointed.
27 συνήχθησαν γὰρ ἐπ᾽ ἀληθείας ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον παῖδά σου Ἰησοῦν, ὃν ἔχρισας, Ἡρῴδης τε καὶ Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος σὺν ἔθνεσι καὶ λαοῖς Ἰσραήλ,
28 They carried out what Your hand and will had decided beforehand would happen.
28 ποιῆσαι ὅσα ἡ χείρ σου καὶ ἡ βουλή σου προώρισε γενέσθαι·
29 And now, Lord, consider their threats, and enable Your servants to speak Your word with complete boldness,
29 καὶ τὰ νῦν, Κύριε, ἔπιδε ἐπὶ τὰς ἀπειλὰς αὐτῶν, καὶ δὸς τοῖς δούλοις σου μετὰ παρρησίας πάσης λαλεῖν τὸν λόγον σου
30 as You stretch out Your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders through the name of Your holy servant Jesus.”
30 ἐν τῷ τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐκτείνειν σε εἰς ἴασιν καὶ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα γίνεσθαι διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ ἁγίου παιδός σου Ἰησοῦ.
31 After they had prayed, their meeting place was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
31 καὶ δεηθέντων αὐτῶν ἐσαλεύθη ὁ τόπος ἐν ᾧ ἦσαν συνηγμένοι, καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν ἅπαντες Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, καὶ ἐλάλουν τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ μετὰ παρρησίας.
32 The multitude of believers was one in heart and soul. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they owned.
32 Τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν πιστευσάντων ἦν ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία, καὶ οὐδὲ εἷς τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῷ ἔλεγεν ἴδιον εἶναι, ἀλλ᾽ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα κοινά.
33 With great power the apostles continued to give their testimony about the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And abundant grace was upon them all.
33 καὶ μεγάλῃ δυνάμει ἀπεδίδουν τὸ μαρτύριον οἱ ἀπόστολοι τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, χάρις τε μεγάλη ἦν ἐπὶ πάντας αὐτούς.
34 There were no needy ones among them, because those who owned lands or houses would sell their property, bring the proceeds from the sales,
34 οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐνδεής τις ὑπῆρχεν ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὅσοι γὰρ κτήτορες χωρίων ἢ οἰκιῶν ὑπῆρχον, πωλοῦντες ἔφερον τὰς τιμὰς τῶν πιπρασκομένων
35 and lay them at the apostles’ feet for distribution to anyone as he had need.
35 καὶ ἐτίθουν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων· διεδίδοτο δὲ ἑκάστῳ καθότι ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν.
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (meaning Son of Encouragement),
36 Ἰωσῆς δὲ ὁ ἐπικληθεὶς Βαρνάβας ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὅ ἔστι μεθερμηνευόμενον υἱὸς παρακλήσεως, Λευΐτης, Κύπριος τῷ γένει,
37 sold a field he owned, brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet.
37 ὑπάρχοντος αὐτῷ ἀγροῦ, πωλήσας ἤνεγκε τὸ χρῆμα καὶ ἔθηκε παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων.
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Alexander
Among those gathered with the rulers, elders and scribes at Jerusalem to question Peter and John.
Cited in the guide: Acts 4:6
Barnabas
A Levite from Cyprus named Joseph and nicknamed Barnabas, 'son of encouragement,' who sold a field for the church, brought Saul to the apostles, and traveled with him as a…
Cited in the guide: Acts 4:36; Acts 9:27; Acts 11:22
Cross references (37)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Luke 22:4; Acts 6:12; Acts 23:6–9; Acts 5:26; Acts 5:24
- 2 Acts 17:18; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–14; Acts 24:14–15; 1 Corinthians 15:12–20; Acts 3:15
- 3 Acts 5:18; Acts 16:19–24; Matthew 10:16–17; Acts 12:1–3; Luke 22:52
- 4 Acts 2:41; 2 Timothy 2:9–10; 2 Corinthians 2:14–17; Philippians 1:12–18; Acts 28:24
- 5 Acts 4:8; Luke 22:66; Isaiah 1:10; Luke 23:13; Acts 6:12
- 6 Luke 3:2; Matthew 26:3; John 18:24; John 18:13–14; John 11:49
- 7 Matthew 21:23; Mark 11:28; Acts 5:40; Exodus 2:14; John 2:18
- 8 Luke 12:11–12; Matthew 10:19–20; Luke 21:14–15; Acts 2:4; Acts 7:55
- 9 1 Peter 3:15–17; Acts 3:7; John 10:32; John 7:23; 1 Peter 4:14
- 10 Acts 3:6; Acts 5:29–32; Acts 2:36; Acts 10:40–42; Matthew 27:63–66
- 11 Psalm 118:22–23; Isaiah 28:16; Mark 12:10–12; Matthew 21:42–45; 1 Peter 2:6–8
- 12 John 14:6; 1 Corinthians 3:11; John 3:36; 1 Timothy 2:5–6; 1 John 5:11–12
- 13 1 Corinthians 1:27; John 7:15; Matthew 11:25; Acts 2:7–12; Matthew 26:73
- 14 Acts 19:36; Acts 3:8–12; Acts 4:16; Acts 4:10; Acts 4:21
- 15 Matthew 5:22; Acts 26:30–32; Acts 5:34–42
- 16 Acts 6:10; John 12:18; Luke 21:15; Luke 6:10–11; Daniel 8:8
- 17 Acts 5:28; Romans 15:18–22; 1 Thessalonians 2:15–16; Acts 5:24; 1 Thessalonians 1:8
- 18 Acts 5:40; Luke 24:46–48; Acts 5:20; Acts 1:8
- 19 Acts 5:29; Exodus 1:17; 1 Corinthians 10:15; 1 Timothy 2:3; 1 Kings 22:14
- 20 Jeremiah 20:9; Acts 22:15; 1 Corinthians 9:16–17; 1 John 1:1–3; Ezekiel 3:11
- 21 Acts 5:26; Luke 22:2; Matthew 9:8; Matthew 21:46; Luke 20:6
- 22 Acts 9:33; John 5:5; Acts 3:2; Matthew 9:20; John 9:1
- 23 2 Corinthians 6:14–17; Psalm 42:4; Psalm 119:63; Acts 12:11–12; Psalm 16:3
- 24 Exodus 20:11; Jeremiah 32:17; Nehemiah 9:6; 2 Kings 19:15; Jeremiah 10:10–12
- 25 Psalm 2:1–6; Acts 1:16; Acts 2:30
- 26 Psalm 2:2; Revelation 17:12–14; Daniel 9:24; Psalm 83:2–8; Acts 10:38
- 27 Matthew 27:2; Acts 4:30; Luke 9:22; Matthew 20:18–19; John 1:11
- 28 Acts 2:23; Isaiah 46:10; Genesis 50:20; Matthew 26:24; Isaiah 53:10
- 29 Acts 4:13; Philippians 1:14; Acts 14:3; Acts 28:31; Acts 4:31
- 30 Acts 3:6; Acts 4:27; Acts 2:22; Acts 9:40–42; Acts 5:12
- 31 Matthew 21:22; Acts 2:4; Acts 2:2; Isaiah 65:24; Acts 16:25–26
- 32 1 Corinthians 1:10; Ephesians 4:2–6; 1 Peter 3:8; John 17:21–23; Philippians 2:1–2
- 33 John 1:16; Acts 1:22; Mark 16:20; Acts 1:8; Acts 4:30
- 34 Acts 2:45; Luke 12:33; Luke 16:9; Deuteronomy 2:7; Psalm 34:9–10
- 35 Acts 5:2; Acts 2:45; 2 Corinthians 8:20–21; Acts 4:37; Acts 3:6
- 36 Galatians 2:9; Galatians 2:13; Galatians 2:1; Acts 15:39; Acts 11:30
- 37 Matthew 19:29; Acts 5:1–2; Acts 4:34–35
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
Ere yet they had time to take breath after their first trials, straightway they enter into others. And observe how the events are disposed. First, they were all mocked together; this was no small trial: secondly, they enter into dangers.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 11 (1889)
… that the promise which God made to the fathers had been fulfilled by Jesus; not certainly proclaiming another god, but the Son of God, who also was made man, and suffered; thus leading Israel into knowledge, and through Jesus preaching the resurrection of the dead, and showing, that whatever the prophets had proclaimed as to the suffering of Christ, these …
… forgiving those sins which are divided against themselves, and by inhabiting those who are cleansed, that it may be with them, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles, "The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul." And this gift of forgiveness none resists, but he who has the hardness of an …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 6 (1888)
For so, "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul," and yet were they divided into many bodies; their unanimity however made the many one.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
And thus, as they captured in the spiritual net of their doctrine five thousand believers at once, so they confuted the misguided rulers of the people and chief priests, and that, not through their own wisdom, for they were unlearned and ignorant men, but through the mighty power of the Holy Ghost; for it is written, Then Peter filled …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)