> and who was placed daily at what was called the Beautiful Gate of the

Temple, was being carried there to beg from the people who went in. When

he saw that Peter and John were about to go in, he asked them to give

him something. But Peter fixed his eyes on him, and John did also, and

said, "Look at us." And the man looked attentively, expecting to receive

something from them. Peter said, "I have neither silver nor gold, but

what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!"

And he took him by the right hand and raised him up. And immediately his

feet and his ankles received strength and he leaped up, stood on his

feet, walked about and went with them into the Temple, walking, and

leaping and praising God.



When the people who saw him walking about and praising God knew that he

was the man who used to sit begging at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple,

they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him;

and as he still kept close to Peter and John, the astonished crowd

rushed to them in what was called Solomon's Porch.



Then Peter said to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you wonder at

this? Or why do you stare at us as though we had made him walk by some

power or goodness of our own? The God of Abraham and of Isaac and of

Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has honored Jesus his servant, whom

you delivered up and denied before Pilate when he had decided to let him

go. But you denied the Holy and Just One and asked that a murderer be

set free and put to death the One who brings life to men! But God

brought him back from the dead, as we bear witness. Jesus, through faith

in his name, has given strength to this man whom you see and know. Yes,

it is faith in him that has made this man perfectly well in the presence

of you all.



"And now, brothers, I know that you acted in ignorance, as did also your

rulers. Turn then to God and live right lives that your sins may be

forgiven, so that God may send you strength. After raising his Servant

from the grave, God sent him first to you to bless you by turning each

of you from your wickedness."



While they were speaking to the people, they were interrupted by the

priests, the officer in charge of the Temple, and the Sadducees, who

were angry because they were teaching the people and telling how Jesus

rose from the dead. They arrested the apostles and, as it was already

evening, put them in prison until the following day.



The next morning a meeting of their rulers, elders and scribes was held

in Jerusalem at which the high priest Annas, and Caiaphas, John,

Alexander and all the members of the high priest's family were present.

They made the apostles stand before them and inquired, "By whose power

and in whose name have you done this?"



Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit and said to them, "Rulers of

the people and elders of Israel, if we are being examined this day for a

good deed done to a lame man, to find out how he was healed, you and all

the people of Israel should know that this man stands before you

completely cured through the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you

crucified and whom God raised from the dead. He is the stone despised by

you builders that has become the chief corner-stone. And salvation comes

by none other, for there is no other name under heaven revealed among

men through which we can be saved."



When they saw how bold Peter and John were and found out that they were

uneducated and ignorant men, they were astonished but they remembered

that they had been with Jesus. Ordering them to go out from the council,

they said among themselves, "What are we to do with these men? All the

people who live in Jerusalem know that a wonderful miracle has been done

by them, and we cannot deny it. But to keep this thing from spreading

any farther among the people let us stop them by threats from speaking

in the future to any one in the name of Jesus." So they called them and

ordered them not to teach nor speak a word in the name of Jesus. But

Peter and John replied, "Decide for yourselves whether it is right

before God to obey you rather than God; for we cannot give up speaking

of what we have seen and heard."



Seeing the man who had been healed standing beside them, the rulers

could say nothing. So, after further threatening them, they let them go,

being unable to find any reason for punishing them on account of the

people, for they were all praising God for what had been done.