isv Acts:4:1-31 SEEK
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While they were speaking to the people ,
the priests ,
the commander of the temple guards ,
and the Sadducees came to them .
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They were greatly disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people and declaring that in the case of Jesus there had been a resurrection from the dead .
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So they arrested them and placed them in custody until the next day ,
since it was already evening .
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But many of those who heard their message believed ,
and the number of men grew to about 5 ,
000 .
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The next day their rulers ,
elders ,
and scribes met in Jerusalem
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with Annas the high priest ,
Caiaphas ,
John ,
Alexander ,
and the rest of the high priest '
s family .
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They made them stand in front of them and began asking , “
By what power or by what name did you do this ?”
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Peter ,
filled with the Holy Spirit ,
said to them , “
Rulers and elders of the people !
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If we are being questioned today for a good deed to someone who was sick or to learn how this man was healed ,
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you and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus from Nazareth ,
whom you crucified but God raised from the dead .
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He is ‘
the stone that was rejected by you builders ,
which has become the cornerstone .’
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There is no salvation by anyone else ,
for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved .”
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Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and ordinary men ,
they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus .
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And seeing the man who was healed standing with them ,
they could not say anything against them .
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So they ordered them to leave the Council and began to discuss the matter among themselves .
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They said , “
What should we do with these men ?
For it '
s obvious to everybody living in Jerusalem that an unmistakable sign has been done by them ,
and we can '
t deny it .
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But to keep it from spreading any further among the people ,
let us warn them never again to speak to anyone in this name .”
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So they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus .
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But Peter and John answered them , “
You must decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God ,
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for we cannot stop talking about what we have seen and heard .”
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So they threatened them even more and then let them go .
They couldn '
t find any way to punish them ,
because all the people continued to praise God for what had happened .
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For the man on whom this sign of healing had been performed was more than forty years old .
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After they were released ,
they went to their own people and told them everything the high priests and the elders had said .
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When they heard this ,
they all raised their voices to God and said , “
Master ,
you made heaven and earth ,
the sea ,
and everything in them .
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You said by the Holy Spirit through the voice of our ancestor ,
your servant David , ‘
Why do the Gentiles rage ,
and the people devise useless plots ?
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The kings of the earth take their stand ,
and rulers meet together against the Lordand against his Christ .’
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For in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate actually met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel against your holy servant Jesus ,
whom you anointed ,
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to do all that your hand and your will had predetermined to take place .
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Lord ,
pay attention to their threats now ,
and allow your servants to speak your word with all boldness
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as you stretch out your hand to heal and to perform signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus .”
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When they had prayed ,
the place where they were meeting was shaken ,
and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness .