Temple authorities, Sadducees, and the captain of the guard arrest Peter and John for proclaiming resurrection in Jesus, but the believers now number about five thousand men. Before the Sanhedrin's inquiry about the healing's authority, Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, boldly proclaims that Jesus Christ of Nazareth, crucified but raised, is the stone rejected by builders become the cornerstone, with no other name under heaven by which we must be saved. The council, unable to deny the notable sign yet threatening further preaching, releases them, while the community prays for boldness, experiences the place shaking with Spirit-filling, and shares everything in common with no needy among them, exemplified by Barnabas selling a field.
Read Acts Chapter 4 Summary
Original
Characters in This Chapter
Places in This Chapter
The Temple
View on MapThe Temple in Jerusalem was the permanent house of worship built by Solomon on Mount Moriah. Destroyed by Babylon, it was rebuilt by Zerubbabel and later greatly expanded by Herod. Jesus taught in the Temple courts, cleared it of merchants, and predicted its destruction, which occurred in 70 AD.
Nazareth
View on MapNazareth is the town in Galilee where Jesus grew up and spent most of his life before his public ministry. It was a small, obscure village in ancient times, which led Nathanael to ask "Can anything good come from Nazareth?" The angel Gabriel appeared to Mary here to announce she would give birth to the Son of God. Jesus was known as "Jesus of Nazareth" throughout his ministry.
Cyprus
View on MapCyprus is a large island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It was the home of Barnabas and an early destination for Christian missionaries. Paul and Barnabas began their first missionary journey here. The proconsul Sergius Paulus became a believer when Paul blinded the sorcerer Elymas.
Position in Book
Jerusalem ChurchChapters 1-7
Ascension, Pentecost, early community, Stephen's martyrdom.
Expansion to Judea/SamariaChapters 8-12
Paul's First JourneyChapters 13-14
Jerusalem CouncilChapters 15
Paul's Second JourneyChapters 16-18
Paul's Third JourneyChapters 19-21
Paul's Trials and RomeChapters 22-28
Bible Bites
The Gospel Spreads in 28 Chapters
The book of Acts contains 28 chapters chronicling the explosive growth of the early church from Jerusalem to Rome. Written by Luke as a sequel to his Gospel, it begins with 120 believers in an upper room and ends with Paul preaching boldly in the capital of the Roman Empire.
ActsThe narrator joins the story
In Acts 16:10, Luke suddenly switches from 'they' to 'we,' revealing he personally joined Paul's missionary journey. These 'we passages' (Acts 16, 20-21, 27-28) provide eyewitness accounts showing Luke was present for key events including Paul's shipwreck.
Acts 16:10