And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
Parallel translations
- WEB When they had stood them in the middle of them, they inquired, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”
- BSB They had Peter and John brought in and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
- NKJV And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, “By what power or by what name have you done this?”
- NASB When they had placed them in the center, they began to inquire, “By what power, or in what name, have you done this?”
- NLT They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
The council demanded to know by what power or name the apostles had healed the man. They sought to challenge the authority behind the miracle.
Overview
The question about 'power' and 'name' goes to the heart of the matter, for the apostles act in the name of Jesus. Ironically, the council's question gives Peter the perfect opening to proclaim Christ. By asking the source of the apostles' authority, the rulers invite the very testimony to Jesus they hoped to suppress, showing how God turns opposition into opportunity for the gospel.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 10
- Matt 21:23And when he was come into the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came unto him as he was teaching, and said, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority?
- Mark 11:28And say unto him, By what authority doest thou these things? and who gave thee this authority to do these things?
- Acts 5:40And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
- John 2:18Then answered the Jews and said unto him, What sign shewest thou unto us, seeing that thou doest these things?
- Acts 5:27–28And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
- Exod 2:14And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known.
- 1 Kgs 21:12–14They proclaimed a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people.
- Acts 4:10Be 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.
- John 8:9And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
- John 8:3And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
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Christ at the center
Acts is the risen Christ continuing his work by the Spirit through the church, as the apostles preach that there is salvation in no other name under heaven.
How Acts 4:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.