1 And as they are speaking to the people, there came to them the priests, and the magistrate of the temple, and the Sadducees— 2 being grieved because of their teaching the people, and preaching in Jesus the resurrection out of the dead— 3 and they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was evening already; 4 and many of those hearing the word believed, and the number of the men became, as it were, five thousand. 5 And it came to pass the next day, there were gathered together of them the rulers, and elders, and scribes, to Jerusalem, 6 and Annas the chief priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the chief priest, 7 and having set them in the midst, they were inquiring, “In what power, or in what name did you do this?” 8 Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 if we are examined today concerning the good deed to the ailing man, by whom he has been saved, 10 be it known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that in the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised out of the dead, in Him has this one stood by before you whole. 11 This is the stone that was set at nothing by you—the builders, that became head of a corner; 12 and there is not salvation in any other, for there is no other name under Heaven that has been given among men, in which it is required of us to be saved.” 13 And beholding the openness of Peter and John, and having perceived that they are illiterate men and commoners, they were wondering—they were also taking knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus— 14 and seeing the man standing with them who has been healed, they had nothing to say against [it], 15 and having commanded them to go away out of the Sanhedrin, they took counsel with one another, 16 saying, “What will we do to these men? Because that, indeed, a notable sign has been done through them [is] apparent to all those dwelling in Jerusalem, and we are not able to deny [it]; 17 but that it may spread no further toward the people, let us strictly threaten them to no longer speak in this Name to any man.” 18 And having called them, they charged them not to speak at all, nor to teach, in the Name of Jesus, 19 and Peter and John answering to them said, “Whether it is righteous before God to listen to you rather than to God, judge; 20 for we cannot but speak what we saw and heard.” 21 And they having further threatened [them], let them go, finding no way how they may punish them, because of the people, because all were glorifying God for that which has been done, 22 for above forty years of age was the man on whom had been done this sign of the healing. 23 And being let go, they went to their own friends, and declared whatever the chief priests and the elders said to them, 24 and they having heard, lifted up the voice to God with one accord and said, “LORD, You [are] God, who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all that [are] in them, 25 who, through the mouth of Your servant David, said, Why did nations rage, and peoples meditate vain things? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the LORD and against His Christ; 27 for gathered together of a truth against Your holy child Jesus, whom You anointed, were both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with nations and peoples of Israel, 28 to do whatever Your hand and Your counsel determined before to come to pass. 29 And now, LORD, look on their threatenings, and grant to Your servants to speak Your word with all freedom, 30 in the stretching forth of Your hand, for healing, and signs, and wonders, to come to pass through the Name of Your holy child Jesus.” 31 And they having prayed, the place was shaken in which they were gathered together, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and were speaking the word of God with freedom, 32 and of the multitude of those who believed, the heart and the soul were one, and not one was saying that anything of the things he had was his own, but all things were in common to them. 33 And with great power the apostles were giving the testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, great grace was also on them all, 34 for there was not anyone among them who lacked, for as many as were possessors of fields, or houses, selling [them], were bringing the prices of the thing sold, 35 and were laying them at the feet of the apostles, and distribution was being made to each according as anyone had need. 36 And Joses, who was surnamed by the apostles Barnabas—which is, having been interpreted, Son of Comfort—a Levite, of Cyprus by birth, 37 a field being his, having sold [it], brought the money and laid [it] at the feet of the apostles.
Acts · Literal Standard Version
Acts 4 Literal Standard Version
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
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)