(Tap footnote to read it. Old Testament quotations are underlined. "Love" with a caret ("^love") is agapé.fn"agapé" The Greek words ἀγάπη (agapé, noun), and ἀγαπάω (agapaó; verb) are typically translated "love". However, unlike our English word "love" – which primarily speaks of affection and feelings – agapé centers on choice and behavior. It’s the "love" based on will, choice, behavior, and action; not feelings. (Feelings-based love is the Greek word φιλέω (phileó), which properly means "brotherly love/affection".) Thus, you could hate someone passionately and still treat him with "agapé". Agapé "love" is best understood as the pursuit of what is most beneficial to someone or something, regardless of the cost to yourself or the type of response received from the person or thing. It can also indicate a preference for someone or something over other things. Verbs with an asterisk (*) are in the Greek perfect tense.)
Peter and John before the Sanhedrin
- And during their speaking to the people, it happened that the priests, and the captains of the temple guard, and the Sadducees came to them,
- being thoroughly aggravated because of them teaching the people and proclaiming the resurrection of the dead in Jesus,
- and they laid hands on them and put them into jail until the next day, for it was already evening.
- But many of the men who heard the word believed, and the number of the menfn“men” this Greek word refers to males only, never females. came to about five thousand.
- And it happened on the next day that their rulers, and elders, and scribes were assembled in Jerusalem,
- also with Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of high-priestly descent.
- And having stood them in their midst, they were asking: “By what power or in what name did you do this?”
- Then having been filled by the Holy Spirit, Peter said to them: “Rulers of the people and elders,
- “if we’re being questioned today on account of a good deed done for a sick man, or by what this man was *healed,
- “let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus the Anointed the Nazarene — whom you crucified and whom God raised from the dead — by Him, this man stands healthy in your presence.
- “This is the stone rejected by you, the builders; it became the head corner stone.fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 118:22
- “And there is salvation in no one else, for nor is there another name under heaven *given among men by which it’s necessary for us to be saved.”
- And observing the boldness of Peter and John, and having noticed that they are unlearned and untrained men, they were marveling. And they were recognizing both of them, that they were with Jesus.
- And seeing the man both *standing with them and that he was *healed, they were having nothing with which to contradict them.
- And having ordered them to go outside the Sanhedrin, they were conferring with one another,
- saying: “What should we do to these men? For that a notable miracle has indeed happened through them is obvious to all the men dwelling in Jerusalem, and we aren’t able to deny it.
- “But so it might not spread further among the people, we should threaten them to no longer speak on this name to any man.”
- And having called them back, they commanded them not to speak nor to teach on the name of Jesus at all.
- But answering, Peter and John said to them: “Whether it’s righteous in God’s sight to listen to you rather than God, you judge,
- “for we ourselves aren’t able to not speak on what we saw and heard.”
- And having further threatened them, they released them, finding nothing for which they could punish them because of the people, because all the people were glorifying God on account of what *happened,
- for the man on whom this miraculous sign of healing had happened was more than forty years old.
Prayer for boldness
- And having been released, they went to their own fellow believers and reported as much as the chief priests and elders said to them.
- And having heard this, they raised their voices to God and said with one accord: “Master, you made heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and all the things in them,fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 146:6
- “who spoke through the mouth of your servant, our father David, through the Holy Spirit, that: “Why do the gentiles rage, and the peoples devise vain plots?“
- “The kings of the earth take a stand, and the rulers were themselves assembled together against the Lord and against His Anointed.fnquotation/allusion to Psalm 146:6
- “for in truth, both Herod and Pilate along with the gentiles and peoples of Israel were assembled in this city against your Holy Servant Jesus whom you anointed,
- “to do as much as your hand and your intention appointed beforehand to happen.
- “And now, Lord, look upon their threats and give courage to your slaves to speak your word with boldness,
- “in the stretching out of your hand for healing, and miraculous signs, and wonders to happen through the name of your holy Servant, Jesus.”
- And with them having prayed, the place in which they were *gathered was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and were speaking the word of God with boldness.
Ananias and Sapphira
- And the multitude who believed were of one heart and soul, and not even one man was claiming his possessions to be his own, but for them, all things were being owned in common.
- And the apostles were giving testimony of the Lord Jesus’s resurrection with great power, and great grace was upon them all,
- for among them, not even one was destitute, for as many as were owners possessing lands or houses were selling them, and they were bringing the price of the things sold,
- and they were setting the money at the feet of the apostles, and it was being distributed to each as anyone was having a need.
- And Joseph, the man called “Barnabas” by the apostles, (which is translated “son of encouragement”, a Levite, and a Cyprian by birth,
- having sold a fieldfn“field” could also be translated “farm”. owned by him, he brought the money and set it at the feet of the apostles.
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