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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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.

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. 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.

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.

23 ¶ And being let go, they went to their own company, 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: 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, 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.

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. 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. 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

[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

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Acts 4

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