Acts Chapter 4
Showing all 37 verses for Acts Chapter 4.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them, "
"While Peter and John were still speaking to the crowd, the priests, the temple guard captain, and the Sadducees came up and confronted them."
Jesus says: doing good and speaking truth won't always be welcomed, especially by those who feel their position threatened by it. Don't be surprised or discouraged when kindness and honesty provoke resistance - that reaction says more about the people threatened than about you.
"Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. "
"They were annoyed that Peter and John were teaching the people and proclaiming, through Jesus, that the dead can rise."
Jesus says: expect the strongest pushback exactly where you're challenging someone's core assumptions, not their minor opinions. Stay gentle and clear rather than backing down, but don't be shocked when the truth unsettles people at that level.
"And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. "
"They arrested Peter and John and held them in custody overnight, since it was already evening."
Jesus says: don't assume standing up for what's right will always feel heroic in the moment - sometimes it just means sitting quietly in an uncomfortable, unjust situation overnight, trusting that morning will bring its own chance to speak.
"Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand. "
"Even so, many who heard the message believed - the number of men alone came to about five thousand."
Jesus says: don't assume opposition means you're losing - sometimes the very moments that look like setbacks are happening alongside real, quiet growth you can't yet see the full shape of. Keep going.
"And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes, "
"The next day, the rulers, elders, and religious scholars gathered."
Jesus says: don't be intimidated by the size or formality of opposition arrayed against you when you're doing right. Institutional power can look overwhelming, but it doesn't determine who's actually telling the truth.
"And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. "
"Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and everyone else from the high priest's family, all gathered in Jerusalem."
Jesus says: facing down the same forces that hurt someone you love takes real courage - but it can be done, calmly and without hatred, exactly as Peter is about to show.
"And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? "
"They stood Peter and John in the middle of the court and asked, "By what power, or in whose name, did you do this?""
Jesus says: when you're challenged to explain yourself, don't be defensive - see it as an invitation to speak the truth clearly. A direct question deserves a direct, honest answer.
"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, "
"Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "Rulers of the people and elders of Israel...""
Jesus says: courage under pressure doesn't have to come from your own willpower alone - you can draw on something bigger than yourself. And even when you're facing people treating you unfairly, you can still speak to them with basic respect rather than matching their hostility.
"If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; "
"If we're being questioned today about a good deed done to a disabled man - about how he was made well -"
Jesus says: don't let anyone talk you out of recognising a genuinely good act as good, even when it gets you into trouble. Stay clear-eyed about what actually happened, regardless of how others try to spin it.
"Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. "
"Let it be known to all of you, and to everyone in Israel, that this man stands here in front of you completely healed because of Jesus Christ of Nazareth - the one you crucified, and the one God raised from the dead."
Jesus says: don't let fear for your own safety change what you know to be true. Consistency between what you say in comfort and what you say under pressure is what makes your words actually trustworthy.
"This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. "
"This Jesus is "the stone that you builders rejected, which has become the most important stone in the building.""
Jesus says: don't assume the people with the most authority or expertise always get it right. Sometimes the thing - or the person - that gets dismissed by those in charge turns out to matter more than anyone expected.
"Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. "
"There's no salvation in anyone else - there's no other name given to humanity under heaven by which we can be saved."
Jesus says: know what you actually believe deep down, and be willing to state it honestly even when it's not the popular or comfortable answer in the room. Clarity about your own convictions is worth more than approval.
"Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. "
"When the council saw how bold Peter and John were, and realised they were ordinary men without formal training, they were amazed - and they recognised these two had been with Jesus."
Jesus says: you don't need impressive qualifications to have something real to offer - genuine character and conviction, shaped by time spent close to what matters, are recognisable even to people who don't agree with you.
"And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. "
"And seeing the healed man standing right there with them, they had no argument to make against it."
Jesus says: let the actual results of goodness in your life speak louder than any argument you could make in your own defence. Sometimes the best response to criticism is simply a life that visibly shows the truth.
"But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, "
"So they ordered Peter and John to step outside the council chamber, and then discussed the matter among themselves."
Jesus says: notice when you're tempted to manage an inconvenient truth rather than simply accept it. Real integrity means being willing to change your response when the facts don't fit your original plan, rather than looking for a way to save face.
"Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. "
"They said, "What are we going to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows a remarkable miracle has happened through them - we can't deny it.""
Jesus says: watch for the difference in your own life between what you privately know is true and what you're willing to publicly act on. Real integrity means letting your actions catch up with what you already know, rather than fighting against it for comfort or status.
"But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. "
"But so this doesn't spread any further among the people, let's strictly warn them not to speak to anyone in this name again."
Jesus says: don't be surprised when truth that threatens someone's position gets met with pressure and threats rather than honest debate. That reaction is itself a kind of admission - stay steady and don't let intimidation be mistaken for a real argument.
"And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. "
"They called Peter and John back in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in Jesus's name."
Jesus says: authority deserves real respect, but it isn't automatically the same thing as being right. When you're asked to stay silent about something true and good, weigh that request honestly rather than obeying just because it comes from someone powerful.
"But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. "
"But Peter and John answered them, "You decide whether it's right in God's eyes to obey you rather than God.""
Jesus says: when you have to push back against unjust authority, do it with clarity and calm rather than anger - invite people to examine their own conscience rather than simply attacking them. Real conviction doesn't need to shout to be firm.
"For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard. "
"We simply can't stop talking about what we've seen and heard."
Jesus says: when something true has genuinely changed your life, it's natural - even necessary - to want to talk about it. Don't let anyone pressure you into denying or hiding your own honest experience just because it's inconvenient for them.
"So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done. "
"So after threatening them further, they let them go, unable to find any way to punish them because of the crowd - everyone was praising God for what had happened."
Jesus says: genuine good done openly tends to build its own protection over time, because people recognise real kindness when they see it. Keep doing what's right in the open, and don't underestimate how much that visibility matters.
"For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed. "
"The man who was healed was over forty years old."
Jesus says: however long you've been stuck in a condition or a pattern, however 'established' it feels, it's never too entrenched to change. Don't measure what's possible for your future by how long something has already lasted.
"And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. "
"Once released, Peter and John went back to their own community and told them everything the chief priests and elders had said."
Jesus says: don't try to carry a frightening or difficult experience by yourself - go back to the people who love you and tell them the truth of what happened. Community is where fear gets turned into shared strength.
"And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is: "
"When they heard this, they all raised their voices together to God in prayer: "Lord, you are the God who made heaven, earth, the sea, and everything in them.""
Jesus says: when you're afraid, it helps to start by remembering something true and much bigger than your immediate fear, before you even get to naming the problem. That perspective itself can steady you before any answer even arrives.
"Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things? "
"You spoke through your servant David, saying: "Why do the nations rage, and the peoples plot uselessly?""
Jesus says: you don't have to face new hardships without any guidance - the wisdom of those who went before you can genuinely help you make sense of what you're going through now.
"The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. "
""The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers gathered together against the Lord and against his Anointed One.""
Jesus says: when you feel like the whole world's power structure is against you, remember this has always been part of the pattern for anyone trying to do real good - you're not alone in facing it, and it doesn't mean you're wrong.
"For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, "
"Truly, in this city, Herod and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, gathered against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed."
Jesus says: when things go wrong, resist the temptation to pin all the blame on just one convenient group. Real honesty usually means recognising that human failure is widespread and shared, rather than comfortably confined to 'other people.'
"For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. "
"They did exactly what your power and plan had already determined would happen."
Jesus says: when you face injustice or hardship that feels senseless, it can help to trust that meaning and purpose can still be at work even inside events you'd never have chosen. That trust doesn't erase the wrong, but it can steady you through it.
"And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, "
"And now, Lord, look at their threats - and give us, your servants, the courage to speak your message with complete boldness."
Jesus says: instead of only praying for your problems to disappear, sometimes the braver and more useful prayer is for the courage to keep doing what's right in the middle of them. Strength under pressure is often the better gift.
"By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. "
"Stretch out your hand to heal, and let signs and wonders happen through the name of your holy servant Jesus."
Jesus says: don't let opposition make you smaller or more timid in the good you're willing to do. If anything, let resistance sharpen your resolve to keep helping people in real, practical ways.
"And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. "
"After they prayed, the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began speaking God's word boldly."
Jesus says: when you genuinely ask for courage instead of comfort, don't be surprised if you receive it in a way that's real and noticeable, not just a vague feeling. Notice this wasn't given to one leader alone - it was shared across the whole group praying together.
"And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. "
"The whole group of believers were united in heart and mind - none of them claimed their possessions as strictly their own, but they shared everything."
Jesus says: real generosity flows naturally out of genuine connection with other people - the more you see others as truly bound up with your own life, the less tightly you'll grip what's 'yours.' Look for ways to loosen your grip on possessions for the sake of people you're genuinely connected to.
"And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all. "
"With great power the apostles kept testifying to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and remarkable grace rested on all of them."
Jesus says: stay anchored to what matters most, even when circumstances around you get complicated or difficult. When your focus is right, grace has a way of becoming visible in how you treat others, not just in what you say.
"Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, "
"No one among them was left in need - anyone who owned land or houses sold them and brought the money from the sale."
Jesus says: let your compassion for others translate into real, practical action, not just warm intentions. The test of genuine care is whether anyone around you is actually better provided for because of it.
"And laid them down at the apostles’ feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. "
"They laid the money at the apostles' feet, and it was distributed to everyone according to what they actually needed."
Jesus says: fairness isn't always about giving everyone identical amounts - sometimes real care means paying attention to what each person actually needs and responding to that, even when it takes more effort and trust than a simple equal split.
"And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, "
"There was a man named Joses, whom the apostles nicknamed Barnabas (meaning "son of encouragement"), a Levite from Cyprus."
Jesus says: pay attention to the kind of reputation you're quietly building through your everyday character - people notice consistent encouragement and generosity long before you do anything dramatic. Being known as someone who lifts others up is a genuinely valuable thing to be known for.
"Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. "
"He owned land, sold it, and brought the money, laying it at the apostles' feet."
Jesus says: don't just talk about generosity as a nice idea - be the specific, named person who actually does it, the way Barnabas did here. Let your good intentions become a concrete, real action people can point to.