The high priest represented his people before God. In the first century C.E., he was also head of the Sanhedrin. Surrounding him as leaders of the Jews were the chief priests. They included former high priests, such as Annas, and other adult males of the families—perhaps as few as four or five families—from which high priests were selected. “The mere fact of belonging to one of the privileged families,” wrote scholar Emil Schürer, “must have conferred a particular distinction” among priests.

The Scriptures indicate that high priests served for their lifetime. (Num. 35:25) During the period covered by the book of Acts, however, Roman governors and kings who ruled by the grace of Rome appointed and deposed high priests at will. It does seem, though, that these pagan rulers chose their appointees from the line of priests descended from Aaron.

12. Teeki baratụa wó pịrị wẹrị boloukụrọ inyenrinbụọ nana a paa emi a o?

¹² Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

A sister witnessing to a coworker during their coffee break. — Let nothing stop you from speaking about the wonderful spiritual truths you have learned

“Ámịnị Tẹẹ . . . Jehovah Pịrị Mị” (Acts 4:23-31)

13, 14. Penimọye bo wó laa daba, omịnị teeki mịẹ agbẹị emi a, bá tetuu a o?

¹³ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

¹⁴ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

15. Egberigbaa fịrị bọọ suusụọdẹ kịmịbo te ka kị angọkụrọmọ a paa emi a o?

¹⁵ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

16, 17. Jesus tuuduo-otubo Jerusalem bọọ mịẹ tẹẹbịbị mị te ka kị wó tolumọ ma o?

¹⁶ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

¹⁷ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

Jehovah Kị Ụgụla Pẹlẹmịnị, Kịmị-Tọbọụgha” (Acts 4:32–5:11)

18. Jerusalem itu bọọ timi otubo teeki mịẹ zọzọ pịrị ma o?

¹⁸ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

19. Jehovah tetuu kị duonị, Ananias mọ Sapphira mọ baa ma o?

¹⁹ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

20. Teeki wó dịnẹmọ wẹrị ye dịẹpaamọ Jehovah pịrị agbẹị emi a o?

²⁰ Beke a goo, [Pidgin West Africa]

PETER—FROM FISHERMAN TO DYNAMIC APOSTLE

Peter is identified by five names in the Scriptures. He is known as Symeon in Hebrew and its Greek equivalent, Simon, and as Peter and its Semitic equivalent, Cephas. The apostle is also identified as Simon Peter, a combination of two names.—Matt. 10:2; John 1:42; Acts 15:14.

Peter was married and shared his home with his mother-in-law and brother. (Mark 1:29-31) He was a fisherman from Bethsaida, a town on the north side of the Sea of Galilee. (John 1:44) He later lived nearby in Capernaum. (Luke 4:31, 38) It was in Peter’s boat that Jesus sat when addressing a multitude that gathered on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Immediately afterward, at Jesus’ direction, Peter hauled in a miraculous catch of fish. Peter fell to his knees in fear, but Jesus said to him: “Stop being afraid. From now on you will be catching men alive.” (Luke 5:1-11) Peter fished with his brother Andrew, as well as with James and John. All four abandoned their fishing business when they accepted Jesus’ invitation to become his followers. (Matt. 4:18-22; Mark 1:16-18) About a year later, Peter was among the 12 whom Jesus chose to be his “apostles,” meaning “sent ones.”—Mark 3:13-16.

Jesus selected Peter, James, and John to accompany him on special occasions. They witnessed Jesus’ transfiguration, saw him resurrect Jairus’ daughter, and shared his grief in the garden of Gethsemane. (Matt. 17:1, 2; 26:36-46; Mark 5:22-24, 35-42; Luke 22:39-46) The same three, along with Andrew, questioned Jesus regarding the sign of his presence.—Mark 13:1-4.

Peter was forthright, dynamic, and sometimes impulsive. It seems that he often spoke up before his fellows did. The Gospels record his words more often than those of the other 11 apostles put together. Peter raised questions while the others remained silent. (Matt. 15:15; 18:21; 19:27-29; Luke 12:41; John 13:36-38) He was the one who objected to Jesus’ washing his feet and then, on being reproved, asked Jesus to wash also his hands and head!—John 13:5-10.

Strong feelings moved Peter to try to persuade Jesus that He would not have to suffer and be killed. Jesus firmly corrected him for that lapse in judgment. (Matt. 16:21-23) During Jesus’ final night on earth, Peter declared that even though all the other apostles might abandon Jesus, he never would. When Jesus’ enemies arrested him, courage moved Peter to defend Jesus with the sword and later to follow him right into the courtyard of the high priest. Yet, not long afterward, Peter denied his Master three times and then wept bitterly when he realized what he had done.—Matt. 26:31-35, 51, 52, 69-75.

Shortly before Jesus’ first post-resurrection appearance to his apostles in Galilee, Peter announced that he was going fishing, and other apostles joined him. On recognizing Jesus on the beach, Peter impulsively plunged into the water and swam ashore. At the breakfast of fish that Jesus cooked for his apostles, Jesus asked Peter if he loved him more than “these”—that is, the fish that were before them. Jesus was urging Peter to choose to follow him full-time rather than pursue a career, such as the fishing business.—John 21:1-22.

In about 62-64 C.E., Peter preached the good news in Babylon, in modern-day Iraq, where there was a large Jewish population. (1 Pet. 5:13) In Babylon, Peter composed the first and possibly the second of the two inspired letters bearing his name. Jesus “empowered Peter,” entrusting him with “an apostleship to those who are circumcised.” (Gal. 2:8, 9) With compassion and vigor, Peter fulfilled his commission.

JOHN—THE DISCIPLE WHOM JESUS LOVED

The apostle John was a son of Zebedee and the brother of the apostle James. It seems that his mother’s name was Salome, who was possibly the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus. (Matt. 10:2; 27:55, 56; Mark 15:40; Luke 5:9, 10) So John may have been a relative of Jesus. John’s family appears to have been materially prosperous. Zebedee’s fishing business was large enough to have hired men. (Mark 1:20) Salome accompanied Jesus, ministered to him when he was in Galilee, and later brought spices to prepare Jesus’ body for burial. (Mark 16:1; John 19:40) John probably had a house of his own.—John 19:26, 27.

John was likely the disciple of John the Baptizer who was standing with Andrew when John the Baptizer looked at Jesus and said: “See, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:35, 36, 40) Following this introduction, John the son of Zebedee evidently accompanied Jesus to Cana and was an eyewitness to Jesus’ first miracle. (John 2:1-11) The vividness and detail with which John describes Jesus’ subsequent activity in Jerusalem, Samaria, and Galilee suggest that the Gospel writer may also have witnessed these events. The readiness with which John—like James, Peter, and Andrew—abandoned his fishing nets, boat, and livelihood when called by Jesus to be his follower testifies to John’s faith.—Matt. 4:18-22.

John does not appear as prominently as Peter does in the Gospel accounts. However, John too had a vigorous personality, as evidenced by the surname that Jesus gave to him and his brother James—Boanerges, meaning “Sons of Thunder.” (Mark 3:17) Initially, John was ambitious for prominence, so much so that he and his brother got their mother to ask Jesus to give her sons privileged positions in his Kingdom. While this desire was selfish, it was also evidence of their faith in the reality of the Kingdom. The brothers’ ambition gave Jesus occasion to admonish all his apostles regarding the need for humility.—Matt. 20:20-28.

John manifested his strong character when he tried to prevent a certain man who was not a follower of Jesus from expelling demons in his name. On another occasion, John was ready to call down fire from heaven to destroy the inhabitants of a Samaritan village who were unresponsive when Jesus sent messengers to make some preparations for him. For these reactions, Jesus rebuked John. Evidently, as time went by, John developed the balance and mercy that he once seemed to lack. (Luke 9:49-56) Despite his shortcomings, however, John was “the disciple whom Jesus loved.” Thus, when Jesus was about to die, he entrusted his own mother, Mary, to John’s care.—John 19:26, 27; 21:7, 20, 24.

John outlived the other apostles, just as Jesus had prophesied that he would. (John 21:20-22) John served Jehovah faithfully for some 70 years. Toward the end of his life, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Domitian, John was exiled to the island of Patmos “for speaking about God and bearing witness concerning Jesus.” There, in about 96 C.E., John received the visions that he recorded in the book of Revelation. (Rev. 1:1, 2, 9) Tradition has it that after his release, John went to Ephesus, where he penned the Gospel that bears his name and the letters known as 1, 2, and 3 John, and that he died in Ephesus in about 100 C.E.