Acts 4

The two-volume work which scholars call Luke–Acts is written differently than the Epistles but was also used for instruction concerning The Way. The events recorded show a vast network of ministers and congregants of elders working together and providing emergency aid and welfare assistance in a daily ministration of Pure Religion through charity alone all over the Empire without the benefits of the legal charity provided by the benefactors of the world who exercise authority like the fathers of the earth.

Comments
At least "five thousand" in Jerusalem were looking to Jesus the Christ's appointed Church for their welfare.
Believers were those who accepted Jesus as the rightful King and no longer sought the welfare of the government run by Sadducees and Pharisees.
Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were the richest and most powerful of Jerusalem, and they were afraid to oppose the ministers appointed by Jesus the Christ.
We already see they were doing the job of a righteous welfare working in the temple providing religious service through Pure Religion in Acts 2:46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
It was those who "were assembled together; and ... were all filled with the Holy Ghost" that held all things common. They assembled themselves in Religious Orders; here the " distribution was made unto every man according as he had need."
Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas was of the Levites and sought to conform to the ministry of Christ, who was in agreement with Moses and his righteous living Altars of charity and sacrifice.
In verses 13 the translators tell us that "agrammatoi and idiotai" means they were "unlearned and ignorant men" but Markus Bockmuehl^[1] of the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of Fitzwilliam College writes "The words agrammatoi and idiotai should not be rendered ‘unlearned and ignorant’, as in the King James Version (and ASV).”^[2]
Jesus and His World: The Archaeological EvidenceBy Craig A. Evans In The Cambridge Companion to Jesus^[3] he also writes "they had been with Jesus" which would mean they had been put out already of the registry for the Corban of the Pharisees and their network of synagogues according to John 9. Markus Bockmuehl went on to explain, "To be agrammatos is to lack scribal training (so LSJ), and is in fact the opposite of the grammateus. To be agrammatos does not necessarily mean to be unable to read. To be an idiotes is to be one outside of the guild, or outside of the group, as in 1 Cor 14.16, 23 and 24, where Paul refers to the ‘outsider’ (so RSV) or ‘ungifted’ (so NASB) as an idiotes."
"Jesus tells his followers that they have been given the secret or mystery of the kingdom, but to ‘outsiders’ everything comes in parables, in order that ‘they may indeed look, but not perceive, and may indeed listen, but not understand; so that they may not turn again and be forgiven’. For those who reject the call and
Phylos is clear that Jews taught thèir children to read and Josephus even writes: ‘Above all we pride ourselves on the education of our children [paidotrophian], and regard as the most essential task in life the observance of our laws and of the pious practices, based thereupon, which we have inherited’ (Ag. Ap. 1.60). He says later: ‘[The Law] orders that [children] shall be taught to read [grammata paideuein]. . .’ (Ag. Ap. 2.204).
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They laid hands but thousands believed

1 And as they spake unto 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 Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide. 4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

Testimony and evidence

5 ¶ And it came to pass on the morrow, 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 ye done this? 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole; 10 be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.^[4] 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 beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.

Would not deny Christ

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 hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it. 17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name. 18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. 19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 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 men glorified God for that which was done. 22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.

Returned to their own

23 ¶ And being let go, they went to their own company^[5], and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them. 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:1

Heathens rage

25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast 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 Christ. 27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together, 28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. 29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,

Prayed and received

30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 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 spake the word of God with boldness.

Things common

32 ¶ And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own^[6]; but they had all things common. 33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: 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 unto every man according as he had need.

The levite repents

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.

↑ Markus Bockmuehl is the Author of Revelation and mystery in ancient Judaism and Pauline Christianity (1990), This Jesus: martyr, Lord, Messiah (1994), The Epistle to the Philippians (1997), and Jewish law in Gentile churches: halakhah and the beginning of Christian public ethics (2000). And of course the The Cambridge Companion to Jesus
↑ In Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence Craig A. Evans also writes, "The words agrammatoi and idiotai should not be rendered ‘unlearned and ignorant’, as in the King James Version..."
↑ [1 ed.] 0521796784, 9780521796781
↑ Reference I am
Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. ";

John 8:24 “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (present tense)

John 8:28 “‭Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” (future tense)

John 8:58 “‭Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (past tense)
Jesus honoured, which is to magnify the Creator, rather than himself.
John 8:54 "Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:"
The Creator is the Father who gives life. To take life is contrary to the Logos of the I am The I am is the preexisting breath of the Creator of the Divine Will. Jesus was one with the logos of the "I am" of God made flesh. The people did not know the God that gave them life because the did not want to see themself in the light of His truth. Jesus brought the light and those that hated the light hated Him.
John 8:55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
Many may think they are born again but they do not love the light. They say Lord, Lord but are under a strong delusion and invent the doctrines of men so they may remain in darkness and in denial about the true Logos of God.
John 9:9;“‭Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.”

John 10:9 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

John 13:19 “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.”

John 14 “‭3 ... where I am, there ye may be also. ‭4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. ‭5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? ‭6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way(Egō eimi hē hodos), the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me(emou)... ‭9 ... Shew us the Father? ‭10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? ... but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. ‭11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: ... 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

John 15:1,5;

John 18: 5, 6, 8;

Isaiah_35:8-9;

Matthew 11:27; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:2; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:8, Hebrews 10:19-22; 1 Peter 1:21
↑
2398 ~ἴδιος~ idios \@id’-ee-os\@ of uncertain affinity; ; adj AV-his own 48, their own 13, privately 8, apart 7, your own 6, his 5, own 5, not tr 1, misc 20; 113
1) pertaining to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self
- see 521 apaideutos, 62 agrammatos, and 2399 idiotes from 2398 idios, [1]
↑
All you have
Luke 14:33 “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 18:22 "Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me."

Acts 2:42 47 "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

Acts 4:32 "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common."

Numbers 3:12 "And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;"

Numbers 3:45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD."

Numbers 8:14 "Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine."
- The ministers of the Church in the wilderness and the early Church belonged to God as bond servants and therefore they owned all things common so the people could be free.
Leviticus 25:10 "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family."

Leviticus 25:41 "And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return."

[1] Markus Bockmuehl is the Author of Revelation and mystery in ancient Judaism and Pauline Christianity (1990), This Jesus: martyr, Lord, Messiah (1994), The Epistle to the Philippians (1997), and Jewish law in Gentile churches: halakhah and the beginning of Christian public ethics (2000). And of course the The Cambridge Companion to Jesus

[2] In Jesus and His World: The Archaeological Evidence Craig A. Evans also writes, "The words agrammatoi and idiotai should not be rendered ‘unlearned and ignorant’, as in the King James Version..."

[3] [1 ed.] 0521796784, 9780521796781

[iam-4] Reference I am
Exodus 3:14 "And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you. ";

John 8:24 “I said therefore unto you, that ye shall die in your sins: for if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.” (present tense)

John 8:28 “‭Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.” (future tense)

John 8:58 “‭Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.” (past tense)
Jesus honoured, which is to magnify the Creator, rather than himself.
John 8:54 "Jesus answered, If I honour myself, my honour is nothing: it is my Father that honoureth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God:"
The Creator is the Father who gives life. To take life is contrary to the Logos of the I am The I am is the preexisting breath of the Creator of the Divine Will. Jesus was one with the logos of the "I am" of God made flesh. The people did not know the God that gave them life because the did not want to see themself in the light of His truth. Jesus brought the light and those that hated the light hated Him.
John 8:55 Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and if I should say, I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you: but I know him, and keep his saying.
Many may think they are born again but they do not love the light. They say Lord, Lord but are under a strong delusion and invent the doctrines of men so they may remain in darkness and in denial about the true Logos of God.
John 9:9;“‭Some said, This is he: others said, He is like him: but he said, I am he.”

John 10:9 “I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”

John 13:19 “Now I tell you before it come, that, when it is come to pass, ye may believe that I am he.”

John 14 “‭3 ... where I am, there ye may be also. ‭4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. ‭5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? ‭6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way(Egō eimi hē hodos), the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me(emou)... ‭9 ... Shew us the Father? ‭10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? ... but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. ‭11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: ... 21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

John 15:1,5;

John 18: 5, 6, 8;

Isaiah_35:8-9;

Matthew 11:27; Acts 4:12; Romans 5:2; Ephesians 2:18; Hebrews 7:25; Hebrews 9:8, Hebrews 10:19-22; 1 Peter 1:21

[idios-5] 2398 ~ἴδιος~ idios \@id’-ee-os\@ of uncertain affinity; ; adj AV-his own 48, their own 13, privately 8, apart 7, your own 6, his 5, own 5, not tr 1, misc 20; 113
1) pertaining to one’s self, one’s own, belonging to one’s self

see 521 apaideutos, 62 agrammatos, and 2399 idiotes from 2398 idios, [1]

[6] see 521 apaideutos, 62 agrammatos, and 2399 idiotes from 2398 idios, [1]

[properpov-6] All you have
Luke 14:33 “So likewise, whosoever he be of you that forsaketh not all that he hath, he cannot be my disciple.”

Luke 18:22 "Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me."

Acts 2:42 47 "And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all that believed were together, and had all things common; And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need. And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart, Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."

Acts 4:32 "And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common."

Numbers 3:12 "And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the children of Israel: therefore the Levites shall be mine;"

Numbers 3:45 Take the Levites instead of all the firstborn among the children of Israel, and the cattle of the Levites instead of their cattle; and the Levites shall be mine: I am the LORD."

Numbers 8:14 "Thus shalt thou separate the Levites from among the children of Israel: and the Levites shall be mine."

The ministers of the Church in the wilderness and the early Church belonged to God as bond servants and therefore they owned all things common so the people could be free.

Leviticus 25:10 "And ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubile unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family."

Leviticus 25:41 "And then shall he depart from thee, both he and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return."

[8] The ministers of the Church in the wilderness and the early Church belonged to God as bond servants and therefore they owned all things common so the people could be free.

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Acts 4

Contents

They laid hands but thousands believed

Testimony and evidence

Would not deny Christ

Returned to their own

Heathens rage

Prayed and received

Things common

The levite repents

Navigation menu

Acts 4

They laid hands but thousands believed

Testimony and evidence

Would not deny Christ

Returned to their own

Heathens rage

Prayed and received

Things common

The levite repents

Navigation menu

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