Peter and John Are Brought in Front of the Council
1 The apostles were still talking to the people, when some priests, the captain of the temple guard, and some Sadducees arrived. 2 These men were angry because the apostles were teaching the people that the dead would be raised from death, just as Jesus had been raised from death. 3 It was already late in the afternoon, and they arrested Peter and John and put them in jail for the night. 4 But a lot of people who had heard the message believed it. So by now there were about 5,000 followers of the Lord.
5 The next morning the leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the Law of Moses met in Jerusalem. 6 The high priest Annas was there, as well as Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other members of the high priest's family. 7 They brought in Peter and John and made them stand in the middle while they questioned them. They asked, “By what power and in whose name have you done this?”
8 Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and told the nation's leaders and the elders:
9 You are questioning us today about a kind deed in which a man who could not walk was healed. 10 But there is something we must tell you and everyone else in Israel. This man is standing here completely well because of the power of Jesus Christ from Nazareth. You put Jesus to death on a cross, but God raised him to life. 11 He is the stone you builders thought was worthless, and now he is the most important stone of all. 12 Only Jesus has the power to save! His name is the only one in all the world that can save anyone.
13 The officials were amazed to see how brave Peter and John were, and they knew that these two apostles were only ordinary men and not well educated. The officials were certain these men had been with Jesus. 14 But they could not deny what had happened. The man who had been healed was standing there with the apostles.
15 The officials commanded them to leave the council room. Then the officials said to each other, 16 “What can we do with these men? Everyone in Jerusalem knows about this miracle, and we cannot say it didn't happen. 17 But to keep this thing from spreading, we will warn them never again to speak to anyone about the name of Jesus.” 18 So they called the two apostles back in and told them they must never, for any reason, teach anything about the name of Jesus.
19 Peter and John answered, “Do you think God wants us to obey you or to obey him? 20 We cannot keep quiet about what we have seen and heard.”
21-22 The officials could not find any reason to punish Peter and John. So they threatened them and let them go. The man who was healed by this miracle was more than 40 years old, and everyone was praising God for what had happened.
Peter and Others Pray for Courage
23 As soon as Peter and John had been set free, they went back and told the others everything the chief priests and the leaders had said to them. 24 When the rest of the Lord's followers heard this, they prayed together and said:
Master, you created heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them. 25 And by the Holy Spirit you spoke to our ancestor David. He was your servant, and you told him to say:
“Why are all the Gentiles
so furious?
Why do people
make foolish plans?
26 The kings of earth
prepare for war,
and the rulers
join together
against the Lord
and his Messiah.”
27 Here in Jerusalem, Herod and Pontius Pilate got together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel. Then they turned against your holy Servant Jesus, your chosen Messiah. 28 They did what you in your power and wisdom had already decided would happen.
29 Lord, listen to their threats! We are your servants. So make us brave enough to speak your message. 30 Show your mighty power, as we heal people and work miracles and wonders in the name of your holy Servant Jesus.
31 After they had prayed, the meeting place shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and bravely spoke God's message.
Sharing Possessions
32 The group of followers all felt the same way about everything. None of them claimed that their possessions were their own, and they shared everything they had with each other. 33 In a powerful way the apostles told everyone that the Lord Jesus was now alive. God greatly blessed his followers, 34 and no one went in need of anything. Everyone who owned land or houses would sell them and bring the money 35 to the apostles. Then they would give the money to anyone in need.
36-37 Joseph was one of the followers who had sold a piece of property and brought the money to the apostles. He was a Levite from Cyprus, and the apostles called him Barnabas, which means “one who encourages others.”
بطرس ويوحنا في المجلس
1 وبَينَما بُطرُسُ ويوحنّا يَخطُبانِ في الشّعبِ، جاءَ إلَيهِما الكَهنَةُ ورَئيسُ حَرَسِ الهَيكَلِ والصّدّوقيّونَ، 2 وهُم مُستاؤونَ لأنّهُما كانا يُعلّمانِ الشّعبَ ويُعلِنانِ قيامَةَ الأمواتِ بِقِـيامَةِ يَسوعَ. 3 فأمسكُوهُما وحَبَسوهُما إلى الغَدِ، لأنّهُ جاءَ المساءُ. 4 وآمنَ كثيرٌ مِنَ الذينَ سَمِعوا الكَلِمَةَ، فبَلَغَ عدَدُ المُؤمِنينَ مِنَ الرّجالِ نَحوَ خمسةِ آلافٍ.
5 وفي الغَدِ اَجتَمَعَ في أُورُشليمَ رُؤساءُ اليَهودِ والشّيوخُ ومُعَلّمو الشّريعةِ 6 وحَنّانُ رَئيسُ الكَهنَةِ وقَيافا ويوحنّا وإسكَندَرُ وأبناءُ رُؤساءِ الكَهنَةِ كُلّهِم. 7 ثُمّ اَستَدعوا بُطرُسَ ويوحنّا وسألوهُما: «بِأَيّ سُلطَةٍ أو بِأَيّ اَسمٍ عَمِلتُما هذا؟» 8 فأجابَهُم بُطرُسُ وهوَ مُمتَلئٌ مِنَ الرّوحِ القُدُسِ: «يا رُؤساءَ الشّعبِ، ويا أيّها الشّيوخُ، 9 إذا كُنتُم تَسألونَنا اليومَ عَنِ الإحسانِ إلى مَريضٍ لِتَعرِفوا كيفَ شُفي، 10 فاَعلَموا جميعًا، وليَعلَمْ شَعبُ إِسرائيلَ كُلّهُ، أنّ هذا الرّجُلَ يَقِفُ هُنا أمامَكُم صَحيحًا مُعافًى باَسمِ يَسوعَ المَسيحِ النّاصِريّ الذي صَلَبتُموهُ أنتُم وأقامَهُ اللهُ مِنْ بَينِ الأمواتِ. 11 هذا هوَ «الحجَرُ الذي رَفَضْتُموهُ أيّها البَنّاؤونَ، فصارَ رأسَ الزّاوِيَةِ». 12 لا خلاصَ إلاّ بـيَسوعَ، فما مِن اَسمٍ آخَرَ تَحتَ السّماءِ وهَبَهُ اللهُ لِلنّاسِ نَقدِرُ بِه أنْ نَخلُصَ».
13 فلمّا رأى أعضاءُ المَجلِسِ جُرأةَ بُطرُسَ ويوحنّا، تَعَجّبوا لأنّهُم عَرَفوهُما أُمّيّينِ مِنْ عامَةِ النّاسِ. ولكنّهُم عَلِموا أنّهُما كانا قَبلاً معَ يَسوعَ. 14 وهُم إلى ذلِكَ يُشاهِدونَ الرّجُلَ الذي شُفِـيَ واقِفًا قُربَهُما، فما كانَ لهُم ما يُجادِلونَ فيهِ. 15 فأمَروهُما أنْ يَخرُجا مِنَ المَجلِسِ، ثُمّ تَشاوَروا 16 وقالوا: «ماذا نَفعَلُ بهَذينِ الرّجُلينِ؟ فكُلّ سُكّانِ أُورُشليمَ يَعرِفونَ أنّ هذِهِ الآيةَ المُبـينَةَ تَمّت على أيديهِما، فلا نَقدِرُ أنْ نُنكِرَها. 17 ولكنْ لِئَلاّ يَزدادَ اَنتِشارُ هذا الخبَرِ بَينَ الشّعبِ، فلنُنْذِرْهُما بأنْ لا يَعودا إلى ذِكْرِ اَسمِ يَسوعَ أمامَ أحدٍ». 18 ثُمّ اَستَدْعوهُما وأمَروهُما أنْ لا يَنطِقا أو يُعَلّما باَسمِ يَسوعَ.
19 فقالَ لهُم بُطرُسُ ويوحنّا: «أنتُم أنفُسُكُم اَحكُموا: هَلِ الحَقّ عِندَ اللهِ أنْ نُطيعَكُم أمْ أنْ نُطيعَ اللهَ؟ 20 أمّا نَحنُ فلا يُمكِنُنا إلاّ أنْ نَتَحدّثَ بما رأينا وسَمِعنا». 21 فأنذَروهُما ثانيَةً، ولكنّهُم حارُوا كَيفَ يُعاقِبونَهُما، فأخلَوا سَبـيلَهُما خَوفًا مِنَ الشّعبِ. فالنّاسُ كُلّهُم كانوا يُمَجّدونَ اللهَ على ما جرى، 22 لأنّ الرّجُلَ الذي نالَ هذا الشّفاءَ العَجيبَ جاوزَ حَدّ الأربعينَ.
صلاة المؤمنين
23 ولمّا أخلى المَجلِسُ سَبـيلَ بُطرُسَ ويوحنّا، رَجَعا إلى رِفاقِهِما وأخبراهُم بِكُلّ ما قالَ لَهُما رُؤساءُ الكَهنَةِ والشّيوخُ. 24 وعِندَما سَمِعوا ذلِكَ، رفَعُوا أصواتَهُم إلى اللهِ بِقَلبٍ واحدٍ، فقالوا: «يا ربّ، يا خالقَ السّماءِ والأرضِ والبحرِ وكُلّ شيءٍ فيها، 25 أنتَ قُلتَ بلِسانِ أبـينا داوُدَ عَبدِكَ بِوَحيٍ مِنَ الرّوحِ القُدُسِ:
لماذا هاجَتِ الأُمَمُ
وتآمَرتِ الشّعوبُ باطِلاً؟
26 قامَ مُلوكُ الأرضِ
وتَحـالَفَ الرُؤساءُ كُـلّهُم
على الرّبّ ومَسيحِهِ.
27 نعم، تَحالَفَ في هذِهِ المدينةِ هِيرودُسُ، وبنطيوسُ بِـيلاطُسُ وبَنو إِسرائيلَ والغُرَباءُ على فَتاكَ القُدّوسِ يَسوعَ الذي جَعَلتَهُ مَسيحًا، 28 فعَمِلوا ما سَبَقَ أنْ قَضَت يَدُكَ ومَشيئَــتُكَ أنْ يكونَ. 29 فاَنظُرِ الآنَ، يا رَبّ إلى تَهديداتِهِم واَمْنَحْنا نَحنُ عَبـيدَكَ أنْ نُعلِنَ كَلِمَتَكَ بِكُلّ جُرأةٍ. 30 مُدّ يَدَكَ لِتأتيَ بالشّفاءِ والآياتِ والعجائِبِ باَسمِ فَتاكَ القُدّوسِ يَسوعَ».
31 وبَينَما هُم يُصلّونَ اَهتَزّ المكانُ الذي كانوا مُجتَمِعينَ فيهِ. واَمتَلأوا كُلّهُم مِنَ الرّوحِ القُدُسِ، فأخذوا يُعلِنونَ كَلِمةَ اللهِ بِجُرأةٍ.
الحياة المشتركة
32 وكانَ جَماعةُ المُؤمنينَ قَلبًا واحدًا ورُوحًا واحِدَةً، لا يَدّعي أحدٌ مِنهُم مُلْكَ ما يَخُصّهُ، بل كانوا يتَشاركونَ في كُلّ شيءٍ لهُم. 33 وكانَ الرّسُلُ يُؤدّونَ الشّهادَةَ بِقيامَةِ الرّبّ يَسوعَ، تُؤيّدُها قُدرَةٌ عَظيمةٌ. وكانَتِ النّعمَةُ وافِرَةً علَيهِم جميعًا 34 فما كانَ أحَدٌ مِنهُم في حاجةٍ، لأنّ الذينَ يَملِكونَ الحُقولَ أوِ البُيوتَ كانوا يَبـيعونَها ويَجيئونَ بِثَمنِ المَبـيعِ، 35 فيُلقونَهُ عِندَ أقدامِ الرّسُلِ ليُوزّعوهُ على قَدرِ اَحتِـياجِ كُلّ واحدٍ مِنَ الجماعَةِ.
36 وهكذا عَمِلَ يوسُفُ، وهوَ لاوِيّ قُبرُصِيّ الأصلِ لَقّبَهُ الرّسُلُ بِبَرْنابا، أي اَبنِ التّعزِيَةِ، 37 فباعَ حَقلاً يَملِكُه وجاءَ بِثَمَنِهِ وألقاهُ عِندَ أقدامِ الرّسُلِ.