Visual Verse – Acts 4:12 cjb

My best friend is a Messianic Jewish Rabbi. Often I will read my devotions in the Complete Jewish Bible as my faith is built on what God has revealed to his chosen people.

4 Kefa (Peter) and Yochanan (John) were still speaking to the people when the cohanim, the captain in charge of the Temple police, and the Tz’dukim (Sadducees) came upon them, ² very annoyed that they were teaching the people the doctrine of resurrection from the dead and offering Yeshua (Jesus) as proof. ³ The Temple police arrested them; and since it was already evening, they put them in custody overnight. ⁴ However, many of those who heard the message trusted; the number of men alone was about five thousand.

⁵ The next day, the people’s rulers, elders and Torah-teachers assembled in Yerushalayim, (Jerusalem) ⁶ along with ‘Anan the cohen hagadol (Annas the high priest ), Kayafa (Caiphas), Yochanan (John), Alexander and the other men from the family of the cohen hagadol (high priest). ⁷ They had the emissaries stand before them and asked, “By what power or in what name did you do this?”

⁸ Then Kefa (Peter), filled with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), said to them, “Rulers and elders of the people! ⁹ If we are being examined today about a good deed done for a disabled person, if you want to know how he was restored to health, ¹⁰ then let it be known to you and to all the people of Isra’el that it is in the name of the Messiah, Yeshua (Jesus) from Natzeret (Nazareth), whom you had executed on a stake as a criminal but whom God has raised from the dead, that this man stands before you perfectly healed.

¹¹ “This Yeshua (Jesus) is the stone rejected by you builders which has become the cornerstone. ¹² There is salvation in no one else! For there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by whom we must be saved!”

¹³ When they saw how bold Kefa (Peter) and Yochanan (John) were, even though they were untrained ‘am-ha’aretz [see note], they were amazed; also they recognized them as having been with Yeshua (Jesus). ¹⁴ Moreover, since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there beside them, there was nothing they could say to discredit the healing. ¹⁵ So they told them to step away from the Sanhedrin while they discussed the matter privately. ¹⁶ “What can we do with these men?” they asked each other. “Why, anyone in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) can see that a remarkable miracle has come about through them — we can’t possibly deny that. ¹⁷ But to prevent it from spreading any further among the people, let’s warn them not to speak any more to anyone in this name.”

¹⁸ So they called them in again and ordered them under no circumstances to speak or teach in the name of Yeshua (Jesus). ¹⁹ But Kefa (Peter) and Yochanan (John) answered, “You must judge whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God. ²⁰ As for us, we can’t help talking about what we have actually seen and heard.” ²¹ They threatened them some more but finally let them go — they couldn’t punish them because of the people, for everyone was praising God over what had happened, ²² since the man who had been miraculously healed was more than forty years old.

²³ Upon being released, they went back to their friends and reported what the head cohanim (high priests) and elders had said to them. ²⁴ When they heard it, they raised their voices to God with singleness of heart. “Master,” they prayed, “You made heaven, earth, the sea and everything in them. ²⁵ By the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), through the mouth of our father David, your servant, you said,

‘Why did the nations rage
and the peoples devise useless plans?
²⁶ The kings of the earth took their stand;
and the rulers assembled together
against Adonai
and against his Messiah.’

²⁷ “This has come true in this city, since Herod and Pontius Pilate, with Goyim (Gentiles) and the peoples of Isra’el, all assembled against your holy servant Yeshua, whom you made Messiah, ²⁸ to do what your power and plan had already determined beforehand should happen.

²⁹ “So now, Lord, take note of their threats; and enable your slaves to speak your message with boldness! ³⁰ Stretch out your hand to heal and to do signs and miracles through the name of your holy servant Yeshua! (Jesus)”

³¹ While they were still praying, the place where they were gathered was shaken. They were all filled with the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), and they spoke God’s message with boldness.

[Note] – “Am ha’aretz” (עם הארץ) is a Hebrew term meaning “the people of the land“. While it originally referred to the general rural populace, its meaning shifted in rabbinic literature to describe an uneducated person who lacked knowledge of Jewish law (halakha) and neglected religious observance, becoming a derogatory term for an “ignoramus” or “boor”. The meaning evolved over time, contrasting with the learned “ḥaverim” (knowledgeable people). 

Acts 4:1-31 (Complete Jewish Bible)

Original Image by Sasin Tipchai from Pixabay
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