Acts 4:1-22
Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin
1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
5 The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and 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. 11 Jesus is
“‘the stone you builders rejected,
which has become the cornerstone.’
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men? ”they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
2 Peter 1:1-21
Peter, An Apostle of Jesus
1 Simon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who through the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ have received a faith as precious as ours:
2 Grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
Confirming One’s Calling and Election
3 His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. 4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.
10 Therefore, my brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11 and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Prophecy of Scripture
12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
16 For we did not follow cleverly devised stories when we told you about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ in power, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” 18 We ourselves heard this voice that came from heaven when we were with him on the sacred mountain.
19 We also have the prophetic message as something completely reliable, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. 20 Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. 21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 10:1-4
Jesus Gives the Disciples Authority
1 Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness.
2 These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; 3 Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; 4 Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him.
Have you ever been jailed?...Peter and John were...They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day....They were jailed for one day, before they were heard by the Sanhedrin of their crime or crimes...But like Jesus, they had done nothing wrong...They had not done anything wrong, yet they had opposition...They had just helped a crippled man, and that was a problem for their opposition and those that opposed Jesus and His teachings...And now a crippled man could walk...The man who could not walk was a man forty years old...The two Disciples were out delivering the message of the gospel, and they were gaining traction and new believers...We are told many seen them get jailed, but many also who had heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand very quickly...
We are also told because they had those that opposed Jesus and His teachings, saw that the Disciples had courage...The Sanhedrin saw this courage in Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men...They were astonished about this, and they took note that these men had been with Jesus....The Disciples were rightfully following Jesus, a criminal and now had no qualms about following Him, even though He was hung from a cross and crucified...The Sanhedrin they could see the man who had been healed standing right there with the Disciples, and there was nothing they could say....Better yet, there was nothing they wanted to say about Jesus' healing powers and how He had passed on some of His authority to His Disciples...So the Sanhedrin ordered the Disciples to withdraw from their presence and then conferred together among themselves...“What are we going to do with these men? ”they asked... “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it...But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”...
They wanted the gospel, the good news of Jesus not to spread...The Sanhedrin could not and did not stop the gospel of Jesus Christ...No one could...The healing of this man was only the beginning of the gospel after Jesus had physically left the Twelve...The Twelve were eyewitnesses to His Majesty and saw all of His miracles, and they lived to tell about them...We can now conclude that the Twelve's eyewitness accounts with the dimension of the gospel is very much striking—namely, that what they did after His death and His resurrection are great evidences of Jesus and what He did while He was on earth...The stories could not be stopped...The story did not end at His death...The story lives and continues today...