Acts 3:11–4:22

3:11
While the man was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely
astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway called Solomon’s
Portico.
12
When Peter saw this, he declared to the people, “Men of Israel, why are
you amazed at this? Why do you stare at us as if we had made this man walk
by our own power or piety?
13
The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has
glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the
presence of Pilate after he had decided to release him.
14
But you rejected the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a man who was a
murderer be released to you.
15
You killed the Originator of life, whom God raised from the dead. To this
fact we are witnesses!
16
And on the basis of faith in Jesus’ name, his very name has made this man
– whom you see and know – strong. The faith that is through Jesus has given
him this complete health in the presence of you all.
17
And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, as your rulers did too.
18
But the things God foretold long ago through all the prophets – that his
Christ would suffer – he has fulfilled in this way.
19
Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out,
20
so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and so
that he may send the Messiah appointed for you – that is, Jesus.
21
This one heaven must receive until the time all things are restored, which
God declared from times long ago through his holy prophets.
22
Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.
You must obey him in everything he tells you.
23
Every person who does not obey that prophet will be destroyed and thus removed from the people.’
24
And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed him, have spoken
about and announced these days.
25
You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with
your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.’
26
God raised up his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by
turning each one of you from your iniquities.”
4:1
While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the
commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,
2
angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the
resurrection of the dead.
3
So they seized them and put them in jail until the next day (for it was
already evening).
4
But many of those who had listened to the message believed, and the number
of the men came to about five thousand.
5
On the next day, their rulers, elders, and experts in the law came
together in Jerusalem.
6
Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others
who were members of the high priest’s family.
7
After making Peter and John stand in their midst, they began to inquire,
“By what power or by what name did you do this?”
8
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, replied, “Rulers of the people
and elders,
9
if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man – by
what means this man was healed –
10
let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the
name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from
the dead, this man stands before you healthy.
11
This Jesus is
“the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone.”
12
And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under
heaven given among people by which we must be saved.”
13
When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they
were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men
had been with Jesus.
14
And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they
had nothing to say against this.
15
But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, they began to
confer with one another,
16
saying, “What should we do with these men? For it is plain to all who live
in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign has come about through them,
and we cannot deny it.
17
But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let
us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.”
18
And they called them in and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in
the name of Jesus.
19
But Peter and John replied, “Whether it is right before God to obey you
rather than God, you decide,
20
for it is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and
heard.”
21
After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not
find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all
praising God for what had happened.
22
For the man, on whom this miraculous sign of healing had been performed,
was over forty years old.

One thought:

This (Peter) is the same guy who usually said or did the wrong thing. We shouldn’t doubt that God can use people like us.

Three questions:

Where is one place in the Old Testament that Peter mentions?

Who are you (or in what context) are you afraid of talking about Jesus?

How would you explain the gospel to someone?

Prayer:

Give thanks for the Spirit who is able to give boldness Pray that we would fear God more than man Pray that God would be praised as we proclaim the gospel with boldness

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