1: And as they spoke to the people the priests
and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them 2: Being
grieved that they taught the people and preached through Iesous the resurrection
from the dead 3: And they arrested them and put them in custody until
the next day for it was now evening 4: Howbeit many of them who heard
the word believed and the number of the people[1] came
to about five thousand 5: And it came to pass on the next day that their
rulers and elders and scribes 6: And Annas the high priest and Caiaphas
and John and Alexander and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest
were gathered together at Jerusalem 7: And when they had set them in the
midst they asked By what power or by what name have you done this 8:
Then Peter filled with the Holy Ghost said to them You rulers of the people and
elders of Israel 9: If we this day be examined for the good deed done to
the impotent man by what means he is made whole 10: Be it known to you
all and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth whom you crucified whom God raised from the dead even by him does this
man stand here before you whole 11: This is the stone which was set
aside by you builders which is become the head of the corner [chief
angle/capstone][2]12:
Neither is there salvation in any other for there is no other name under heaven
given among people whereby we must be saved 13: Now when they saw the
boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant
men they marvelled and they took knowledge of them that they had been with
Jesus 14: And seeing the man who was healed standing with them they could
say nothing against it 15: But when they had commanded them to go aside
out of the council they conferred among themselves 16: Saying What shall
we do to these men for that indeed a notable miracle has been done by them is known
to all them that dwell in Jerusalem and we cannot deny it 17: But that
it spread no further among the people let us sternly threaten them that they
speak from now on to no one in this name 18: And they called them and
commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Iesous
19: But Peter and John answered and said to them Whether it be right before
Ho
Theos to listen to you more than to Ho Theos you judge 20:
For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard 21: So
when they had further threatened them they let them go finding nothing how they
might punish them because of the people for all glorified Ho Theos for that which
was done 22: For the man was above forty years old on whom this miracle
of healing was done 23: And being let go they went to their own company
and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them 24:
And when they heard that they lifted up their voices to Ho Theos with one accord
and said Lord you are Ho Theos who has made the heavens
and the earth and the sea and all that in them is 25: Who by the mouth
of your servant David has said Why did the heathen rage and the people imagine
vain things 26: The kings of the earth stood up and the rulers were
gathered together against the Lord and against his Christos 27: For
of a truth against your holy child Iesous whom you have anointed both
Herod and Pontius Pilate with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were
gathered together 28: For to do whatsoever your hand and your counsel had
pre-determined Acts 2:23 to be done 29: And now Lord behold
their threatenings and grant to your servants that with all boldness they may
speak your word 30: By stretching forth your hand to heal and that signs
and wonders may be done by the name of your holy child Iesous 31: And
when they had prayed the place was shaken where they were assembled together
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost and they spoke the word of God
with boldness 32: And the multitude of them that believed were of one
heart and of one soul neither said any of them that any of the things which they possessed was their
own but they had all things common 33: And with great power gave the
apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Iesous and great grace
was upon them all 34: Neither was there any among them that lacked for
as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them and brought the prices
of the things that were sold 35: And laid them down at the apostles'
feet and distribution was made to every one according as they had need 36:
And Joses who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas which is being interpreted
The son of consolation a Levite and of the country of Cyprus 37: Having
land sold it and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet
[1] This gathering took place at Solomon’s
Porch, which was located on the eastern side of the Women’s Court, so there is no
reason to believe only men were there that evening (especially considering the
size of the crowd), or that only men became believer’s as they heard the Good
News of the Resurrection. This is one of those instances (there are more) where
the Greek word, aner, is used
generically of a mixed crowd composed of both women and men, yet virtually
every English translation misleads readers by saying that five thousand men became believers—one even adds the
non-existent words, "besides women and children.”
[2] A primary angle is a
capstone, and there is only one structure on earth that utilizes a capstone,
and that is a pyramid. A pyramid is a foursquare structure whose many angles
(corners, cornerstones) flow upward from the foundation to finally connect in a
direct, unbroken, line to only one stone which sports four corners that connect
with the entire structure into a one-of-a-kind unity found in no other
structure on earth. The only kind of stone which can function as a primary
angle or chief cornerstone is a capstone. In Christ’s building, the sequence is
reversed. The foundation begins at the top with the primary angle—the
capstone—who is Christ himself, and is built from the top down with each
successive stone in direct connection with Christ who is the life of the entire
building, which is His body—the Body of Christ—the Church. Ordinary structures
have angles on each level just as a pyramid does, but ordinary structures have
no capstone that connects each angle with every other angle creating the
unbroken unity of structure found only in the pyramid. With its capstone, the
only stone on earth which can be referred to as a chief cornerstone, the
pyramid stands alone and majestic within the world of masonry as a visual type
of the construction of, and awesome unity of, the Church of the Living God, which
has as its source, and draws its very life from, our Cornerstone—Jesus Christ.
Additional commentary pending for this
chapter. Questions and comments are welcome.
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