While they were still talking to the people some priests and other Temple rulers came up.
They arrested them, but since it was already late, they held them until the next day. But even so, many of the people believed and joined the growing community of believers.
The next day Peter and John were brought before the high priest and other Jewish leaders. "By what power and by whose name have you done this?" they were asked. Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed them eagerly. "Rulers of the people!" he said, "you are asking about an act of kindness done to a lame man. I am glad to tell you all, and would be only too glad to tell all of Israel, that it was by the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth - the One you crucified, and Whom God raised from the dead - by this Name and no other, that this man stands here before you perfectly strong and healthy. For there is no other name given to men by which we can be saved."
They were amazed that Peter and John were so bold and confident, since they were common men with no education. They recognized them as friends of Jesus, but with the lame man who had been cured standing right there beside them, they could not find anything to say. So they ordered the prisoners to stand outside while they had a private discussion. "What can we do with these men?" they asked each other. "Everybody in Jerusalem sees that a miracle has been worked through them in public; we cannot deny this. But so the whole thing will not spread any further among the people, let us warn them never to speak to anyone in this Name again."
So they called them in and warned them never to say anything or teach in the Name of Jesus. But Peter and John shot back, "You must judge whether before God it is right to listen to you and not to God. We cannot promise to stop telling everyone of what we have seen and heard."
They repeated the warnings and released them. They could not think of anything else to do, since all the people were giving glory to God for what had happened. For the man who had been cured was over forty years old.
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