While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,
very much disturbed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming that in Jesus there is resurrection from the dead.
They seized Peter and John, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day.
But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.
The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.
When they had made the prisoners stand before them, they asked, “By what power or what name did you do this?”
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!
If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed,
then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed.
Jesus is “‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’
Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”
When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.
But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say.
So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together.
“What are we going to do with these men?” they asked.
“Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it.
But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!
As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”
After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened.
For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
When they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly.
All the believers were together and had everything in common.
They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.
Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts,
praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.
This is the Patristics text that appears when you select Patristics.
