NKJV Bible in 365 Days
Bold Witnesses and Rising Opposition — October 14
Acts 3-4
Acts 3
1 Now Peter and John went up together to the temple at the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. 365N 287.1
2 And a certain man lame from his mother’s womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful, to [a] ask alms from those who entered the temple; 365N 287.2
3 who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked for alms. 365N 287.3
4 And fixing his eyes on him, with John, Peter said, “Look at us.” 365N 287.4
5 So he gave them his attention, expecting to receive something from them. 365N 287.5
6 Then Peter said, “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk.” 365N 287.6
7 And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength. 365N 287.7
8 So he, leaping up, stood and walked and entered the temple with them—walking, leaping, and praising God. 365N 287.8
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God. 365N 287.9
10 Then they knew that it was he who sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. 365N 287.10
11 Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. 365N 287.11
12 So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 365N 287.12
13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. 365N 287.13
14 But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 365N 287.14
15 and killed the [b] Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses. 365N 287.15
16 And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 365N 287.16
17 “Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. 365N 287.17
18 But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. 365N 287.18
19 Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, 365N 287.19
20 and that He may send [c] Jesus Christ, who was [d] preached to you before, 365N 287.20
21 whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since [e] the world began. 365N 287.21
22 For Moses truly said to the fathers, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. 365N 287.22
23 And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ 365N 287.23
24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also [f] foretold these days. 365N 287.24
25 You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ 365N 287.25
26 To you first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.” 365N 287.26
Acts 4
1 Now as they spoke to the people, the priests, the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees came upon them, 365N 287.27
2 being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached in Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 365N 287.28
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening. 365N 287.29
4 However, many of those who heard the word believed; and the number of the men came to be about five thousand. 365N 287.30
5 And it came to pass, on the next day, that their rulers, elders, and scribes, 365N 287.31
6 as well as Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the family of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. 365N 287.32
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?” 365N 287.33
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers of the people and elders of Israel: 365N 287.34
9 If we this day are judged for a good deed done to a helpless man, by what means he has been made well, 365N 287.35
10 let it be 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, by Him this man stands here before you whole. 365N 287.36
11 This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’ 365N 287.37
12 Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” 365N 287.38
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled. And they realized that they had been with Jesus. 365N 287.39
14 And seeing the man who had been healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it. 365N 287.40
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves, 365N 287.41
16 saying, “What shall we do to these men? For, indeed, that a [a] notable miracle has been done through them is evident [b] to all who dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. 365N 287.42
17 But so that it spreads no further among the people, let us severely threaten them, that from now on they speak to no man in this name.” 365N 287.43
18 So they called them and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 365N 287.44
19 But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. 365N 287.45
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.” 365N 287.46
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding no way of punishing them, because of the people, since they all glorified God for what had been done. 365N 287.47
22 For the man was over forty years old on whom this miracle of healing had been performed. 365N 287.48
23 And being let go, they went to their own companions and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said to them. 365N 287.49
24 So when they heard that, they raised their voice to God with one accord and said: “Lord, You are God, who made heaven and earth and the sea, and all that is in them, 365N 287.50
25 who [c] by the mouth of Your servant David have said: ‘Why did the nations rage, And the people plot vain things? 365N 287.51
26 The kings of the earth took their stand, And the rulers were gathered together Against the Lord and against His Christ.’ 365N 287.52
27 “For truly against Your holy Servant Jesus, whom You anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, were gathered together 365N 287.53
28 to do whatever Your hand and Your purpose determined before to be done. 365N 287.54
29 Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word, 365N 287.55
30 by stretching out Your hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done through the name of Your holy Servant Jesus.” 365N 287.56
31 And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness. 365N 287.57
32 Now the multitude of those who believed were of one heart and one soul; neither did anyone say that any of the things he possessed was his own, but they had all things in common. 365N 287.58
33 And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all. 365N 287.59
34 Nor was there anyone among them who lacked; for all who were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the proceeds of the things that were sold, 365N 287.60
35 and laid them at the apostles’ feet; and they distributed to each as anyone had need. 365N 287.61
36 And [d] Joses, who was also named Barnabas by the apostles (which is translated Son of [e] Encouragement), a Levite of the country of Cyprus, 365N 287.62
37 having land, sold it, and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet. 365N 287.63