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

Jesus spent those days teaching in the Temple, and when evening came, he would go out and spend the night on the Mount of Olives.

Early each morning all the people went to the Temple to listen to him.

Early the next morning he went back to the Temple. All the people gathered around him, and he sat down and began to teach them.

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.

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

The next day the Jewish leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the Law gathered in Jerusalem.

They met with the High Priest Annas and with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and the others who belonged to the High Priest's family.

When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew, they became even quieter; and Paul went on:

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up here in Jerusalem as a student of Gamaliel. I received strict instruction in the Law of our ancestors and was just as dedicated to God as are all of you who are here today.

For you will be a witness for him to tell everyone what you have seen and heard.

When day came, the elders, the chief priests, and the teachers of the Law met together, and Jesus was brought before the Council.

Pilate replied, "Do you think I am a Jew? It was your own people and the chief priests who handed you over to me. What have you done?"

with power over the king's officials and authority to instruct his advisers.

They made the apostles stand before them and asked them, "How did you do this? What power do you have or whose name did you use?"

When morning came, there was a tremendous confusion among the guards---what had happened to Peter?

Herod gave orders to search for him, but they could not find him. So he had the guards questioned and ordered them put to death. After this, Herod left Judea and spent some time in Caesarea.