42 The first believers spent their time in learning from the apostles, taking part in the fellowship, and sharing in the fellowship meals and the prayers.

43 Many miracles and wonders were being done through the apostles, and everyone was filled with awe.

44 All the believers continued together in close fellowship and shared their belongings with one another.

45 They would sell their property and possessions, and distribute the money among all, according to what each one needed.

46 Day after day they met as a group in the Temple, and they had their meals together in their homes, eating with glad and humble hearts,

47 praising God, and enjoying the good will of all the people. And every day the Lord added to their group those who were being saved.

1 One day Peter and John went to the Temple at three o’clock in the afternoon, the hour for prayer.

2 There at the Beautiful Gate, as it was called, was a man who had been lame all his life. Every day he was carried to the gate to beg for money from the people who were going into the Temple.

3 When he saw Peter and John going in, he begged them to give him something.

4 They looked straight at him, and Peter said, "Look at us!"

5 So he looked at them, expecting to get something from them.

6 But Peter said to him, "I have no money at all, but I give you what I have: in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth I order you to get up and walk!"

7 Then he took him by his right hand and helped him up. At once the man’s feet and ankles became strong;

8 he jumped up, stood on his feet, and started walking around. Then he went into the Temple with them, walking and jumping and praising God.

9 The people there saw him walking and praising God.

12 Many miracles and wonders were being performed among the people by the apostles. All the believers met together in Solomon’s Porch.

13 Nobody outside the group dared to join them, even though the people spoke highly of them.

14 But more and more people were added to the group - a crowd of men and women who believed in the Lord.

15 As a result of what the apostles were doing, sick people were carried out into the streets and placed on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.

16 And crowds of people came in from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing those who were ill or who had evil spirits in them; and they were all healed.

17 Then the High Priest and all his companions, members of the local party of the Sadducees, became extremely jealous of the apostles; so they decided to take action.

18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.

19 But that night an angel of the Lord opened the prison gates, led the apostles out, and said to them,

20 "Go and stand in the Temple, and tell the people all about this new life."

21 The apostles obeyed, and at dawn they entered the Temple and started teaching. The High Priest and his companions called together all the Jewish elders for a full meeting of the Council; then they sent orders to the prison to have the apostles brought before them.

22 But when the officials arrived, they did not find the apostles in prison, so they returned to the Council and reported,

23 "When we arrived at the jail, we found it locked up tight and all the guards on watch at the gates; but when we opened the gates, we found no one inside!"

24 When the chief priests and the officer in charge of the temple guards heard this, they wondered what had happened to the apostles.

25 Then a man came in and said to them, "Listen! The men you put in prison are in the Temple teaching the people!"