The Fellowship of the Early Believers

42  They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 43  Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles. 44  All who believed were together and held everything in common, 45  and they began selling their property and possessions and distributing the proceeds to everyone, as anyone had need. 46  Every day they continued to gather together by common consent in the temple courts, breaking bread from house to house, sharing their food with glad and humble hearts, 47  praising God and having the good will of all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number every day those who were being saved.

3  Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o’clock in the afternoon. 2  And a man lame from birth was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful Gate” every day so he could beg for money from those going into the temple courts. 3  When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money. 4  Peter looked directly at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!” 5  So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. 6  But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, stand up and walk!” 7  Then Peter took hold of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. 8  He jumped up, stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 9  All the people saw him walking and praising God, 10  and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement at what had happened to him.