Acts 4:8-13

4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹  replied, ²  “Rulers of the people and elders, ³  4:9 if ⁴  we are being examined ⁵  today for a good deed ⁶  done to a sick man – by what means this man was healed ⁷  – 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ ⁸  the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy. 4:11 This Jesus ⁹  is the stone that was rejected by you, ¹⁰  the builders, that has become the cornerstone. ¹¹  4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people ¹²  by which we must ¹³  be saved.”

4:13 When they saw the boldness ¹⁴  of Peter and John, and discovered ¹⁵  that they were uneducated ¹⁶  and ordinary ¹⁷  men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus.

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¹ sn Filled with the Holy Spirit. The narrator’s remark about the Holy Spirit indicates that Peter speaks as directed by God and for God. This fulfills Luke 12:11-12 (1 Pet 3:15).

² tn Grk “Spirit, said to them.”

³ tc The Western and Byzantine texts, as well as one or two Alexandrian witnesses, read τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (tou Israhl, “of Israel”) after πρεσβύτεροι (presbuteroi, “elders”; so D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï it), while most of the better witnesses, chiefly Alexandrian (Ì⁷⁴ א A B 0165 1175 vg sa bo), lack this modifier. The longer reading was most likely added by scribes to give literary balance to the addressees in that “Rulers” already had an adjunct while “elders” was left absolute.

⁴ tn This clause is a first class condition. It assumes for the sake of argument that this is what they were being questioned about.

⁵ tn Or “questioned.” The Greek term ἀνακρίνω (anakrinw) points to an examination similar to a legal one.

⁶ tn Or “for an act of kindness.”

⁷ tn Or “delivered” (σέσωται [seswtai], from σώζω [swzw]). See 4:12.

⁸ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

⁹ tn Grk “This one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹⁰ tn The word “you” is inserted into the quotation because Peter is making a direct application of Ps 118:22 to his hearers. Because it is not in the OT, it has been left as normal type (rather than bold italic). The remarks are like Acts 2:22-24 and 3:12-15.

¹¹ sn A quotation from Ps 118:22 which combines the theme of rejection with the theme of God’s vindication/exaltation.

¹² tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

¹³ sn Must be saved. The term used here (δεῖ, dei, “it is necessary”) reflects the necessity set up by God’s directive plan.

¹⁴ tn Or “courage.”

¹⁵ tn Or “and found out.”

¹⁶ sn Uneducated does not mean “illiterate,” that is, unable to read or write. Among Jews in NT times there was almost universal literacy, especially as the result of widespread synagogue schools. The term refers to the fact that Peter and John had no formal rabbinic training and thus, in the view of their accusers, were not qualified to expound the law or teach publicly. The objection is like Acts 2:7.

¹⁷ tn For the translation of ἰδιῶται (idiwtai) as “ordinary men” see L&N 27.26.