Acts 4

New Testament · English Majority Text Version with Greek parallel

Acts 4

1Now while they were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them,Λαλούντων δὲ αὐτῶν πρὸς τὸν λαόν, ἐπέστησαν αὐτοῖς οἱ ἱερεῖς καὶ ὁ στρατηγὸς τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ οἱ Σαδδουκαῖοι,

2being greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.διαπονούμενοι διὰ τὸ διδάσκειν αὐτοὺς τὸν λαὸν καὶ καταγγέλλειν ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ τὴν ἀνάστασιν τῶν νεκρῶν.

3And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.καὶ ἐπέβαλον αὐτοῖς τὰς χεῖρας καὶ ἔθεντο εἰς τήρησιν εἰς τὴν αὔριον· ἦν γὰρ ἑσπέρα ἤδη.

4However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand.πολλοὶ δὲ τῶν ἀκουσάντων τὸν λόγον ἐπίστευσαν, καὶ ἐγενήθη ὁ ἀριθμὸς τῶν ἀνδρῶν ὡσεὶ χιλιάδες πέντε.

5Now it came to pass on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes were gathered together at Jerusalem,Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν αὔριον συναχθῆναι αὐτῶν τοὺς ἄρχοντας καὶ πρεσβυτέρους καὶ γραμματεῖς εἰς Ἱερουσαλήμ,

6as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of high priestly descent.καὶ Ἄνναν τὸν ἀρχιερέα καὶ Καϊάφαν καὶ Ἰωάννην καὶ Ἀλέξανδρον καὶ ὅσοι ἦσαν ἐκ γένους ἀρχιερατικοῦ.

7And they brought them forward and began to inquire, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”καὶ στήσαντες αὐτοὺς ἐν μέσῳ ἐπυνθάνοντο, Ἐν ποίᾳ δυνάμει ἢ ἐν ποίῳ ὀνόματι ἐποιήσατε τοῦτο ὑμεῖς;

8Then Peter, having been filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel:τότε Πέτρος πλησθεὶς Πνεύματος Ἁγίου εἶπε πρὸς αὐτούς, Ἄρχοντες τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ πρεσβύτεροι τοῦ Ἰσραήλ,

9If we today are being judged for a good work to a weak man, by what means he has been made well,εἰ ἡμεῖς σήμερον ἀνακρινόμεθα ἐπὶ εὐεργεσίᾳ ἀνθρώπου ἀσθενοῦς, ἐν τίνι οὗτος σέσωσται,

10let it be known to you all, 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, by this name this man stands here before you whole.γνωστὸν ἔστω πᾶσιν ὑμῖν καὶ παντὶ τῷ λαῷ Ἰσραὴλ ὅτι ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ Ναζωραίου, ὃν ὑμεῖς ἐσταυρώσατε, ὃν ὁ Θεὸς ἤγειρεν ἐκ νεκρῶν, ἐν τούτῳ οὗτος παρέστηκεν ἐνώπιον ὑμῶν ὑγιής.

11This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you, the builders, which became the chief cornerstone.’οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ λίθος ὁ ἐξουθενηθεὶς ὑφ᾽ ὑμῶν τῶν οἰκοδομούντων, ὁ γενόμενος εἰς κεφαλὴν γωνίας.

12Nor is there salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven which has been given among men by which we must be saved.”καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐν ἄλλῳ οὐδενὶ ἡ σωτηρία, οὔτε γὰρ ὄνομά ἐστιν ἕτερον τὸ δεδομένον ἐν ἀνθρώποις ἐν ᾧ δεῖ σωθῆναι ἡμᾶς.

13Now when they observed the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus.Θεωροῦντες δὲ τὴν τοῦ Πέτρου παρρησίαν καὶ Ἰωάννου, καὶ καταλαβόμενοι ὅτι ἄνθρωποι ἀγράμματοί εἰσι καὶ ἰδιῶται, ἐθαύμαζον, ἐπεγίνωσκόν τε αὐτοὺς ὅτι σὺν τῷ Ἰησοῦ ἦσαν.

14But seeing the man that had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against them.τὸν δὲ ἄνθρωπον βλέποντες σὺν αὐτοῖς ἑστῶτα τὸν τεθεραπευμένον οὐδὲν εἶχον ἀντειπεῖν.

15And they commanded them to go away outside the council, and began to confer among themselves,κελεύσαντες δὲ αὐτοὺς ἔξω τοῦ συνεδρίου ἀπελθεῖν συνέβαλλον πρὸς ἀλλήλους

16saying, “What shall we do to these men? For indeed, that a known sign has come to pass by them is evident to all those who are dwelling in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it.λέγοντες, Τί ποιήσομεν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις τούτοις; ὅτι μὲν γὰρ γνωστὸν σημεῖον γέγονε δι᾽ αὐτῶν πᾶσι τοῖς κατοικοῦσιν Ἱερουσαλὴμ φανερόν, καὶ οὐ δυνάμεθα ἀρνήσασθαι.

17But lest it be spread further among the people, let us threaten them with a threat, that they speak no longer to any man in this name.”ἀλλ᾽ ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖον διανεμηθῇ εἰς τὸν λαόν, ἀπειλῇ ἀπειλησώμεθα αὐτοῖς μηκέτι λαλεῖν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τούτῳ μηδενὶ ἀνθρώπων.

18And summoning them, they commanded them not to speak at all nor to teach in the name of Jesus.καὶ καλέσαντες αὐτοὺς παρήγγειλαν αὐτοῖς τὸ καθόλου μὴ φθέγγεσθαι μηδὲ διδάσκειν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ Ἰησοῦ.

19But Peter and John answered them and said, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God, you be the judge.ὁ δὲ Πέτρος καὶ Ἰωάννης ἀποκριθέντες πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἶπον, Εἰ δίκαιόν ἐστιν ἐνώπιον τοῦ Θεοῦ ὑμῶν ἀκούειν μᾶλλον ἢ τοῦ Θεοῦ, κρίνατε.

20For we can do none other but to speak the things which we have seen and heard.”οὐ δυνάμεθα γὰρ ἡμεῖς ἃ εἴδομεν καὶ ἠκούσαμεν μὴ λαλεῖν.

21So having threatened them further, they released them, finding no way of punishing them, on account of the people, because they all were glorifying God over that which had occurred.οἱ δὲ προσαπειλησάμενοι ἀπέλυσαν αὐτούς, μηδὲν εὑρίσκοντες τὸ πῶς κολάσονται αὐτούς, διὰ τὸν λαόν, ὅτι πάντες ἐδόξαζον τὸν Θεὸν ἐπὶ τῷ γεγονότι.

22For the man was over forty, on whom had come about this sign of healing.ἐτῶν γὰρ ἦν πλειόνων τεσσαράκοντα ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐφ᾽ ὃν ἐγεγόνει τὸ σημεῖον τοῦτο τῆς ἰάσεως.

23And being released, they came to their own, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them.Ἀπολυθέντες δὲ ἦλθον πρὸς τοὺς ἰδίους καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν ὅσα πρὸς αὐτοὺς οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι εἶπον.

24So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one mind and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and the earth and the sea, and all that is in them,οἱ δὲ ἀκούσαντες ὁμοθυμαδὸν ἦραν φωνὴν πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν καὶ εἶπον, Δέσποτα, σὺ ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς,

25who by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, and the people conspired vain things?ὁ διὰ στόματος Δαυὶδ παιδός σου εἰπών, Ἵνα τί ἐφρύαξαν ἔθνη καὶ λαοὶ ἐμελέτησαν κενά;

26The kings of the earth took their stand, and the rulers were assembled together against the Lord and against His Christ.’παρέστησαν οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς καὶ οἱ ἄρχοντες συνήχθησαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ κατὰ τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ κατὰ τοῦ Χριστοῦ αὐτοῦ.

27“For truly they were assembled against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel,συνήχθησαν γὰρ ἐπ᾽ ἀληθείας ἐπὶ τὸν ἅγιον παῖδά σου Ἰησοῦν, ὃν ἔχρισας, Ἡρῴδης τε καὶ Πόντιος Πιλᾶτος σὺν ἔθνεσι καὶ λαοῖς Ἰσραήλ,

28to do all that Your hand and Your counsel foreordained to come to pass.ποιῆσαι ὅσα ἡ χείρ σου καὶ ἡ βουλή σου προώρισε γενέσθαι.

29Now, Lord, look upon their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word,καὶ τὰ νῦν, Κύριε, ἔπιδε ἐπὶ τὰς ἀπειλὰς αὐτῶν, καὶ δὸς τοῖς δούλοις σου μετὰ παρρησίας πάσης λαλεῖν τὸν λόγον σου,

30by extending Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may come about through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.”ἐν τῷ τὴν χεῖρά σου ἐκτείνειν σε εἰς ἴασιν καὶ σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα γίνεσθαι διὰ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ ἁγίου παιδός σου Ἰησοῦ.

31And when they had prayed, the place where they were gathered was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness.καὶ δεηθέντων αὐτῶν ἐσαλεύθη ὁ τόπος ἐν ᾧ ἦσαν συνηγμένοι, καὶ ἐπλήσθησαν ἅπαντες Πνεύματος Ἁγίου, καὶ ἐλάλουν τὸν λόγον τοῦ Θεοῦ μετὰ παρρησίας.

32Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things belonging to him was his own, but they had all things in common.Τοῦ δὲ πλήθους τῶν πιστευσάντων ἦν ἡ καρδία καὶ ἡ ψυχὴ μία, καὶ οὐδὲ εἷς τι τῶν ὑπαρχόντων αὐτῶν ἔλεγεν ἴδιον εἶναι, ἀλλ᾽ ἦν αὐτοῖς ἅπαντα κοινά.

33And with great power the apostles were giving forth their witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all.καὶ μεγάλῃ δυνάμει ἀπεδίδουν τὸ μαρτύριον οἱ ἀπόστολοι τῆς ἀναστάσεως τοῦ Κυρίου Ἰησοῦ, χάρις τε μεγάλη ἦν ἐπὶ πάντας αὐτούς.

34Nor was there anyone needy among them; for all who were owners of lands or houses were selling them, and were bringing the proceeds of the things which had been sold,οὐδὲ γὰρ ἐνδεής τις ὑπῆρχεν ἐν αὐτοῖς· ὅσοι γὰρ κτήτορες χωρίων ἢ οἰκιῶν ὑπῆρχον, πωλοῦντες ἔφερον τὰς τιμὰς τῶν πιπρασκομένων

35and were placing them beside the feet of the apostles; and they were distributing to each, to the degree that anyone had need.καὶ ἐτίθουν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων· διεδίδοτο δὲ ἑκάστῳ καθὸ ἄν τις χρείαν εἶχεν.

36And Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of Encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus,Ἰωσῆς δὲ ὁ ἐπικληθεὶς Βαρνάβας ἀπὸ τῶν ἀποστόλων, ὅ ἐστι μεθερμηνευόμενον υἱὸς παρακλήσεως, Λευΐτης, Κύπριος τῷ γένει,

37who, possessing a field, sold it and brought the money and placed it beside the feet of the apostles.ὑπάρχοντος αὐτῷ ἀγροῦ, πωλήσας ἤνεγκε τὸ χρῆμα καὶ ἔθηκε παρὰ τοὺς πόδας τῶν ἀποστόλων.

The Fathers on Acts 4

Saint John Chrysostom comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.

On Acts 4:1

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 400 AD · Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles

“And as they spake unto the people, there came unto them the priests, and the captain of the temple.”

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On Acts 4:23

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 400 AD · Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles

“And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.”

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On Acts 4:36–37

Saint John Chrysostom

Eastern Fathers · c. 400 AD · Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles

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, having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the Apostles’ feet.”

Read Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles →