But you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you'll be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."

Peter answered them, "Every one of you must repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the Holy Spirit as a gift.

The believers continued to devote themselves to what the apostles were teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to times of prayer.

There is no salvation by anyone else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people by which we must be saved."

When the day of Pentecost was being celebrated, all of them were together in one place.

Pay attention to yourselves and to the entire flock over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers to be shepherds of God's church, which he acquired with his own blood.

These people were more receptive than those in Thessalonica. They were very willing to receive the message, and every day they carefully examined the Scriptures to see if those things were so.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in foreign languages as the Spirit gave them that ability.

They answered, "Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you and your family will be saved."

So those who welcomed his message were baptized. That day about 3,000 people were added to their number.

After saying this, Jesus was taken up while those who had gathered together were watching, and a cloud took him out of their sight.

On the first day of the week, when we had met to break bread, Paul began to address the people. Since he intended to leave the next day, he went on speaking until midnight.

They asked, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking up toward heaven? This same Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you saw him go up into heaven."

Therefore, repent and turn to him to have your sins blotted out,

Though God has overlooked those times of ignorance, he now commands everyone everywhere to repent,

In those days, as the number of the disciples was growing larger and larger, a complaint was made by the Hellenistic Jews against the Hebraic Jews that their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution of food.

Then Peter began to speak: "Now I understand that God shows no partiality.

That night the brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. When they arrived, they went into the Jewish synagogue.

In my first book, Theophilus, I wrote about everything Jesus did and taught from the beginning,

From one man he made every nation of humanity to live all over the earth, fixing the seasons of the year and the national boundaries within which they live,

Meanwhile, still spewing death threats against the Lord's disciples, Saul went to the high priest.

"Fellow Israelis, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth was a man authenticated to you by God through miracles, wonders, and signs that God performed through him among you, as you yourselves know.

Peter asked, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart so that you should lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back some of the money you got for the land?

When the crowd that had gathered heard this, they were pierced to the heart. They asked Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?"

"In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on everyone. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

While he was meeting with them, he ordered them, "Don't leave Jerusalem. Instead, wait for what the Father has promised, about which you heard me speak,

God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and because God was with him, he went around doing good and healing everyone who was oppressed by the devil.

Now Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius from Cyrene, Manaen, who grew up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch.

Now an angel of the Lord told Philip, "Get up and go south on the road that leads from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a deserted road."

But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men!

Now all the believers were one in heart and soul, and nobody called any of his possessions his own. Instead, they shared everything they owned.

Now those who had gathered together began to ask Jesus, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?"

"Therefore, let all the people of Israel understand beyond a doubt that God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!"

But then a man named Ananias, with the consent of his wife Sapphira, sold some property.

For we live, move, and exist because of him, as some of your own poets have said: ""Since we are his children, too.'

The young men got up, wrapped him up, carried him outside, and buried him.

It was while Apollos was in Corinth that Paul passed through the inland districts and came to Ephesus. He found a few disciples there

he took them outside and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?"

When he found him, he brought him to Antioch, and for a whole year they were guests of the church and taught many people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

Then some men came down from Judea and started to teach the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the Law of Moses, you can't be saved."

So now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and have your sins washed away as you call on his name.'

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth. He doesn't live in shrines made by human hands,

She would follow Paul and us and shout, "These men are servants of the Most High God and are proclaiming to you a way of salvation!"

After he had suffered, he had shown himself alive to them by many convincing proofs, appearing to them during a period of 40 days and telling them about the kingdom of God.

They were praising God and enjoying the good will of all the people. Every day the Lord was adding to their number those who were being saved.

All the believers were united and shared everything with one another.

In every way I showed you that by working hard like this we should help the weak and remember the words that the Lord Jesus himself said, "It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

Then Peter stood up among the eleven apostles and raised his voice to address them:

because John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit a few days from now."

Then whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

With one mind, all of them kept devoting themselves to prayer, along with the women (including Mary the mother of Jesus) and his brothers.

After he was arrested according to the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified this very man and killed him using the hands of lawless men.

But I don't place any value on my life, if only I can finish my race and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus of testifying to the gospel of God's grace.

Once, as we were going to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit of fortune-telling and who had brought her owners a great deal of money by predicting the future.

From Miletus he sent messengers to Ephesus to ask the elders of the church to meet with him.

While Peter was still making this statement, the Holy Spirit fell on all the people who were listening to his message.

United in purpose, they went to the Temple every day, ate at each other's homes, and shared their food with glad and humble hearts.

As they were going along the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, "Look, there's some water. What keeps me from being baptized?"

strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. "We must endure many hardships," they said, "to get into the kingdom of God."

You will help them understand and turn them from darkness to light and from Satan's control to God, so that their sins will be forgiven and they will receive a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

One afternoon, Peter and John were on their way to the Temple for the three o'clock prayer time.

Now in Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion in what was known as the Italian Regiment.

Paul and Barnabas appointed elders for them in each church, and with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

because he has set a day when he is going to judge the world with justice through a man whom he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead."

He answered them, "It isn't for you to know what times or periods the Father has fixed by his own authority.

But when Philip proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and about the name of Jesus the Messiah, men and women believed and were baptized.

Now Saul heartily approved of putting Stephen to death. That day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except for the apostles was scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria.

I testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance to God and faith in our Lord Jesus.

"I'm now entrusting you to God and to the message of his grace, which is able to build you up and secure for you an inheritance among all who are sanctified.

While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, "Set Barnabas and Saul apart for me to do the work for which I called them."

So Paul stood up in front of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way.

because he was one of our number and was appointed to share in this ministry."

Everyone from the least to the greatest paid close attention to him, saying, "This is what we call the great power of God!"

Because they had been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in Asia, Paul and Timothy went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.

When they came into the city, these men went to the upstairs room where they had been staying: Peter and John, James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas the son of James.

A woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a dealer in purple goods, was listening to us. She was a worshiper of God, and the Lord opened her heart to listen carefully to what was being said by Paul.

When the gentiles heard this, they began rejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord. Meanwhile, all who had been destined to eternal life believed,

All the prophets testify to this: everyone who believes in Jesus receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

At that time, Peter got up among the brothers (there were about 120 people present) and said,

I know that when I'm gone, savage wolves will come among you and not spare the flock.

Then they took him, brought him before the Areopagus, and asked, "May we know what this new teaching of yours is?

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was deeply disturbed to see the city full of idols.

So the man watched them closely, expecting to get something from them.

When they heard this, they calmed down, and praised God by saying, "So God has given repentance that leads to life even to gentiles."

After an interval of about three hours, Ananias' wife came in, not knowing what had happened.

For this promise belongs to you and your children, as well as to all those who are distant, whom the Lord our God may call to himself."

While they were speaking to the people, the priests, the commander of the Temple guards, and the Sadducees came to them.

In it were all kinds of four-footed animals, reptiles, and birds of the air.

He has been exalted to the right hand of God, has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit, and has caused you to experience what you are seeing and hearing.

In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas. She was known for her good actions and acts of charity that she was always doing.

"You stubborn people with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always opposing the Holy Spirit, just as your ancestors used to do.

Now when the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaritans had accepted the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

The Spirit told me to go with them without hesitating. These six brothers went with me, too, and we entered the house of the man from Caesarea.

After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth.

About that time, Herod arrested some people who belonged to the church and mistreated them.

Now when the Jewish leaders saw the boldness of Peter and John and found out that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and realized that they had been with Jesus.

He must remain in heaven until the time of universal restitution, which God announced long ago through the voice of his holy prophets.

Around midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

so that the rest of the people may search for the Lord, including all the gentiles who are called by my name,' declares the Lord. "He is the one who has been doing these things

I have the same hope in God that they themselves cherish that there is to be a resurrection of the righteous and the wicked.

In that way the word of the Lord kept spreading and triumphing.

up to the day when he was taken up to heaven after giving orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

Paul and Silas traveled through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue.

So the word of God continued to spread, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem continued to grow rapidly. Even a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.

Then they returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day's journey away.

you and all the people of Israel must understand that this man stands healthy before you because of the name of Jesus from Nazareth, whom you crucified, but whom God raised from the dead.

But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked straight into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

As usual, Paul entered there and on three Sabbaths discussed the Scriptures with them.

Now many signs and wonders were being performed by the apostles among the people, who were gathered together in Solomon's Colonnade.

Now in that city there was a man named Simon. He was practicing occult arts and thrilling the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.

Now the people who were scattered by the persecution that started because of Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews.

When they had prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken, and all of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak messages from God boldly.

Paul also went to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish wife whose husband was a Greek.

"No one can stop us from using water to baptize these people who have received the Holy Spirit in the same way that we did, can they?"

and rescued him from all his troubles. He granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler of Egypt and of his whole household.

Now the apostles and the brothers who were in Judea heard that the gentiles had also accepted the word of God.

God has exalted to his right hand this very man as our Leader and Savior in order to extend repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.

But God raised him up and put an end to suffering of death, since it was impossible for him to be held by it,

because I never shrank from telling you the whole plan of God.

But the Lord told him, "Go, because he's my chosen instrument to carry my name to unbelievers, to their kings, and to the descendants of Israel.

But Peter and John answered them, "You must decide whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than God,

For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place on you any burden but these essential requirements:

They made Peter and John stand in front of them and began asking, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"

Meanwhile, a Jew named Apollos arrived in Ephesus. He was a native of Alexandria, an eloquent man, and well versed in the Scriptures.

Therefore, brothers, appoint seven men among you who have a good reputation, who are full of the Spirit and wisdom, and we'll put them in charge of this work.

Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people.

In fact, Moses said,

Rather, this is what was spoken through the prophet Joel:

So Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the land for that price?" She answered, "Yes, that was the price."

Now those who were scattered went from place to place preaching the word.

They left Perga and arrived in Antioch in Pisidia. On the Sabbath day, they went into the synagogue and sat down.

"It was this very Jesus whom God raised and we're all witnesses of that.

As they continued to stone Stephen, he kept praying, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

During the night Paul had a vision. A man from Macedonia was standing there and pleading with him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"

"Brothers, I can tell you confidently that the patriarch David died and was buried, and that his tomb is among us to this day.

This became known to all the residents of Jerusalem, so that this field is called in their language Hakeldama, that is, "The Field of Blood".)

"Therefore, brothers, you must understand that through him the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

Around noon the next day, while they were on their way and coming close to the town, Peter went up on the roof to pray.

It sounds rather strange to our ears, and we would like to know what it means."

and that everyone who believes in him is justified and freed from everything that kept you from being justified by the Law of Moses.

They saw tongues like flames of fire that separated, and one rested on each of them.

"Brothers, the Scripture had to be fulfilled, which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through the voice of David about Judas, who was the guide for those who arrested Jesus,

A few days later, Paul told Barnabas, "Let's go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord and see how they're doing."

We are witnesses of these things, and so is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who keep on obeying him."

Simeon has explained how God first showed his concern for the gentiles by taking from among them a people for his name.

When they heard this, they all raised their voices to God and said, "Master, you made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.

While he was going and they were gazing up toward heaven, two men in white robes stood right beside them.

so that they might look for God, somehow reach for him, and find him. Of course, he is never far from any one of us.

This suggestion pleased the whole group. So they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch.

Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began to preach the Messiah to the people.

For in this city both Herod and Pontius Pilate actually met together with unbelievers and the people of Israel to oppose your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,

But Peter said, "Absolutely not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean!"

However, Peter said, "I don't have any silver or gold, but I'll give you what I do have. In the name of Jesus the Messiah from Nazareth, walk!"

Then the apostles, the elders, and the whole church decided to choose some of their men to send with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch. These were Judas, who was called Barsabbas, and Silas, who were leaders among the brothers.

This Moses is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and to our ancestors. He received living truths to give to us,

Then God removed Saul and made David their king, about whom he testified, "I have found that David, the son of Jesse, is a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my wishes.'

When he knocked at the outer gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it.

After they were released, Peter and John went to their fellow believers and told them everything the high priests and the elders had said.

So the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace. As it continued to be built up and to live in the fear of the Lord, it kept increasing in numbers through the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.

For you will not abandon my soul to Hades or allow your Holy One to experience decay.

Instead, we should write to them to keep away from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from anything strangled, and from blood.

A sense of fear came over everyone, and many wonders and signs were being done by the apostles.

But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors on their first trip.

Then the high priest and all those from the sect of the Sadducees who were with him were filled with jealousy. So they went out,

So he ordered the chariot to stop, and Philip and the eunuch both went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

I never shrank from telling you anything that would help you nor from teaching you publicly and from house to house.

(Now this man bought a field with the money he got for his crime. Falling on his face, he burst open in the middle, and all his intestines gushed out.

When they didn't find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials and shouted, "These fellows who have turned the world upside down have come here, too,

They paid careful attention to him because he had thrilled them for a long time with his occult performances.

As Saul traveled along and was approaching Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him.

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia but raised in this city and educated at the feet of Gamaliel in the strict ways of our ancestral Law. I am as zealous for God as all of you are today.

Stephen replied: "Listen, brothers and fathers!

Suddenly, a sound like the roar of a mighty windstorm came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.

Using many different expressions, Peter continued to testify and to plead: "Be saved," he urged them, "from this corrupt generation!"

Every day in the Temple and from house to house they kept teaching and proclaiming that Jesus is the Messiah.

He also ordered us to preach to the people and to testify solemnly that this is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead.

Stunned and amazed, they asked, "All of these people who are speaking are Galileans, aren't they?

Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, told them, "Rulers and elders of the people!

Then he told us how he had seen an angel standing in his home and saying, "Send messengers to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter.

who was one of the men associated with us all the time the Lord Jesus came and went among us,

So if we are God's children, we shouldn't think that the divine being is like gold, silver, or stone, or is an image carved by humans using their own imagination and skill.

Now devout Jews from every nation on earth were living in Jerusalem.

Therefore, since he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him with an oath to put one of his descendants on his throne,

and he isn't served by people as if he needed anything. He himself gives everyone life, breath, and everything else.

He has sent his word to the descendants of Israel and brought them the good news of peace through Jesus the Messiah. This man is the Lord of everyone.

God continued to do extraordinary miracles through Paul.

Then we'll devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

Now all the Athenians and the foreigners living there used to spend their time doing nothing else other than listening to the latest ideas or repeating them.

The God of our ancestors raised Jesus to life after you killed him by hanging him on a tree.

Then Philip began to speak, and, starting from this Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus.

"Men, why are you doing this? We are merely human beings with natures like yours. We are telling you the good news so you'll turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and everything in them.

While they were yelling, tossing their coats around, and throwing dirt into the air,

He has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so he would see again."

For as I was walking around and looking closely at the objects you worship, I even found an altar with this written on it: "To an unknown god.' So I am telling you about the unknown object you worship.

he looked ahead and spoke about the resurrection of the Messiah: "He was not abandoned to Hades, and his flesh did not experience decay.'

yet he has not abandoned his witness: he continues to do good, to give you rain from heaven, to give you fruitful seasons, and to fill you with food and your hearts with joy."

He is "the stone that was rejected by you builders, which has become the cornerstone.'

to serve in this office of apostle, from which Judas left to go to his own place."

Then the high priest asked, "Is this true?"

Instead, I first told the people in Damascus and Jerusalem, then all the people in Judea and after that the gentiles to repent, turn to God, and perform deeds that are consistent with such repentance.

King Agrippa, do you believe the prophets? I know you believe them!"

"How could you have agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord?" Peter asked her. "Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and these men will carry you outside as well."

On their second trip, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph introduced his family to Pharaoh.

We certainly believe that it is through the grace of the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, that we are saved, just as they are."

After staying there for quite a while longer, Paul said goodbye to the brothers and sailed for Syria, accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He had his hair cut in Cenchrea, since he was under a vow.

Now in Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord called out to him in a vision, "Ananias!" He answered, "Here I am, Lord."

Now Crispus, the leader of the synagogue, believed in the Lord, along with his whole family. Many Corinthians who heard Paul also believed and were baptized.

One man, Joseph, a descendant of Levi and a native of Cyprus, who was named Barnabas by the apostles (the name means "a son of encouragement"),

There he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to visit them,

Lord, pay attention to their threats now, and allow your servants to speak your word boldly

So Ananias left and went to that house. He laid his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were traveling, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

On recognizing Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed that she didn't open the gate but ran back inside and announced that Peter was standing at the gate.

When Peter realized what had happened, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where a large number of people had gathered and were praying.

So the Twelve called the whole group of disciples together and said, "It is not desirable for us to neglect messages from God in order to wait on tables.

When Paul saw that some of them were Sadducees and others were Pharisees, he shouted in the Council, "Brothers, I'm a Pharisee and a descendant of Pharisees. I'm on trial concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected."

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob the God of our ancestors has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you betrayed and rejected in the presence of Pilate, even though he had decided to let him go.

"But a famine spread throughout Egypt and Canaan, and with it great suffering, and our ancestors couldn't find any food.

After all, David did not go up to heaven, but he said, "The Lord told my Lord, "Sit at my right hand,

After he had put up with them for 40 years in the wilderness,

At that time some prophets from Jerusalem came down to Antioch.

After a lengthy debate, Peter stood up and told them, "Brothers, you know that in the early days, God chose me to be the one among you through whom the gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe.

However, I admit to you that in accordance with the Way, which they call a heresy, I worship the God of our ancestors and believe in everything written in the Law and the Prophets.

since none of them needed anything, because everyone who had land or houses would sell them and bring the money received for the things sold

"Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen! The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made them a great people during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with a public display of power he led them out of there.

When they arrived, they called the church together and told them everything that God had done with them and how he had opened a door so that gentiles would believe.

When Paul laid his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they began to speak in foreign languages and to prophesy.

He dropped to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"

They asked him to stay longer, but he refused.

Then a voice told him, "Get up, Peter! Kill something and eat it."

But they could neither refute the wisdom nor withstand the Spirit by which he kept speaking.

that have been known from long ago.'

And great fear seized the whole church and everyone else who heard about this.

But Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard many people tell how much evil this man has done to your saints in Jerusalem.

What is to be done? They will certainly hear that you have come.

except that in town after town the Holy Spirit assures me that imprisonment and suffering are waiting for me.

She instantly fell down at Peter's feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead. So they carried her out and buried her next to her husband.

Then Joseph invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him in Egypt 75 persons in all.

If we are being questioned today for a good deed done for someone who was sick or to learn how this man was healed,

So they secretly got some men to say, "We have heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God."

Provide a mount for Paul to ride, and take him safely to Governor Felix."

While Peter was still at a loss to know what the vision he had seen could mean, the men sent by Cornelius asked for Simon's house and went to the gate.

Then Peter took hold of his right hand and began to help him up. Immediately his feet and ankles became strong,

He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet, and then he told them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He added, "Tell this to James and the brothers." Then he left and went somewhere else.

and he sprang to his feet, stood up, and began to walk. Then he went with them into the Temple, walking, jumping, and praising God.

They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes. Then they rushed at Stephen, grabbed him, and brought him before the Council.

All of them continued to be stunned and puzzled, and they kept asking one another, "What can this mean?"

This happened three times. Then the sheet was quickly taken back into heaven.

So do what we tell you. We have four men who are under a vow.

They went down and prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.

He brought Paul and Silas upstairs into his house and set food before them. He was thrilled, as was his household, to believe in God.

They brought them before the magistrates and said, "These men are stirring up a lot of trouble in our city. They are Jews

Then he sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, while he himself stayed in Asia a while longer.

He is here with authority from the high priests to put in chains all who call on your name."

When all the people saw him walking and praising God,

Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking and knocking. When they opened the gate, they saw him and were amazed.

and are advocating customs that we're not allowed to accept or practice as Romans."

the tribune ordered Paul to be taken into the barracks and told the soldiers to beat and question him in order to find out why the people were yelling at him like this.

The other people told her, "You're out of your mind!" But she kept insisting that it was so. Then they said, "It's his angel."

since I'm going to show him how much he must suffer for my name's sake."

As he told them goodbye, he said, "I will come back to you again if it is God's will." Then he set sail from Ephesus.

"After that, he gave them judges until the time of the prophet Samuel. When they demanded a king, God gave them Kish's son Saul, from the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years.

Now if God gave them the same gift that he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, who was I to try to stop God?"

they knew that he was the man who used to sit and beg at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

At the same time he was hoping to receive a bribe from Paul, and so he would send for him frequently to talk with him.

Even by saying this, it was all Paul and Barnabas could do to keep the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.

for about 450 years.

They called out and asked if Simon who was called Peter was staying there.

The hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

But among them were some men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began proclaiming the Lord Jesus even to the Hellenistic Jews.

he destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan. Then God gave their land to the Israelis as an inheritance

They had false witnesses stand up and say, "This man never stops saying things against this Holy Place and against the Law.

None of the others dared join them, although the rest of the people continued to hold them in high regard.

Get up, go downstairs, and don't hesitate to go with them, for I have sent them."

I have nothing reliable to write our Sovereign about him, so I have brought him to all of you, and especially to you, King Agrippa, so that I will have something to write after he is cross-examined.

Now Herod had been in a violent quarrel with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they came to him as a group. After they had won over Blastus, who oversaw security for the king's sleeping quarters, they asked for a peace agreement because their country depended on the king's country for food.

They wrote this letter for them to deliver: "From: The apostles and the elders, your brothers To: Their gentile brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia.

When morning came, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter.

Herod searched for him but didn't find him, so he questioned the guards and ordered them to be executed. Then he left Judea, went down to Caesarea, and stayed there for a while.

He wrote a letter with this message:

When the church in Jerusalem heard this news, they sent Barnabas all the way to Antioch.

In those days I will even pour out my Spirit on my slaves, men and women alike, and they will prophesy.

Having received these orders, he put them into the inner cell and fastened their feet in leg irons.

Therefore, at a set time Herod put on his royal robes, sat down on the royal seat, and made a speech to them.

Paul replied, "Whether quickly or not, I wish to God that not only you but everyone listening to me today would become what I am except for these chains!"

After giving them a severe beating, they threw them in jail and ordered the jailer to keep them under tight security.

I will display wonders in the sky above and signs on the earth below: blood, fire, and clouds of smoke.

So Jacob went down to Egypt. Then he and our ancestors died.

He got up and was baptized, and after eating some food, he felt strong again. For several days he stayed with the disciples in Damascus.

They were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought at a high price from Hamor's descendants in Shechem.

After two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Since Felix wanted to do the Jews a favor, he left Paul in prison.

Crowds continued coming in even from the towns around Jerusalem bringing their sick and those who were troubled by unclean spirits, and all of them were healed.

And seeing the man who was healed standing with them, they could not say anything against them.

Then everyone who was seated in the Council glared at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

By making silver shrines of Artemis, a silversmith named Demetrius provided a large income for skilled workers.

It was from this man's descendants that God, as he promised, brought to Israel a Savior, who is Jesus.

But the word of God continued to grow and spread.

The people kept shouting, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man!"

Fearing that we might run aground on the rocks, they dropped four anchors from the stern and began praying for daylight to come.

For we have heard him say that this Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us."

When John was finishing his work, he said, "Who do you think I am? I'm not the Messiah. No, but he is coming after me, and I'm not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.'

That is why my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices, yes, even my body still rests securely in hope.

So they ordered them to leave the Council and began to discuss the matter among themselves.

who have risked their lives for the sake of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And so a large number of people was brought to the Lord.

When he arrived in Caesarea, he went up to Jerusalem, greeted the church there, and then returned to Antioch.

When he was placed outside, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.

"Now as the time approached for the fulfillment of the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people's population increased a great deal in Egypt.

Peter was still thinking about the vision when the Spirit told him, "Look! Three men are looking for you.

When they heard about a resurrection of the dead, some began joking about it, while others said, "We will hear you again about this."

They said, "What should we do with these men? For it's obvious to everybody living in Jerusalem that an unmistakable sign has been done by them, and we cannot deny it.

Everyone who heard him was astonished and said, "This is the man who harassed those who were calling on Jesus' name in Jerusalem, isn't it? Didn't he come here to bring them in chains to the high priests?"

Some men joined him and became believers. With them were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and some others along with them.

Take these men, go through the purification ceremony with them, and pay their expenses to shave their heads. Then everyone will know that there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you are carefully observing and keeping the Law.

But to keep it from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them never again to speak to anyone in this name."

Now a man who had been crippled from birth was being carried in. Every day people would lay him at what was called the Beautiful Gate so that he could beg from those who were going into the Temple.

They were greatly disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people and announcing that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead.

The men replied, "Cornelius, a centurion and an upright and God-fearing man who is respected by the whole Jewish nation, was instructed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his home to hear what you have to say."

"At this time Moses was born. He was beautiful in the sight of God, and for three months he was cared for in his father's house.

Greetings. We have heard that some men, coming from us without instructions from us, have said things to trouble you and have unsettled you.

but his disciples took him one night and let him down through the city wall by lowering him in a basket.

Even some officials of the province of Asia who were his friends sent him a message urging him not to risk his life in the theater.

Eventually, a different king who had not known Joseph became ruler of Egypt.

From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had completed.

The next day, since the tribune wanted to find out exactly what Paul was being accused of by the Jews, he released him and ordered the high priests and the entire Council to meet. Then he brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

But when they had tied him up with the straps, Paul asked the centurion who was standing there, "Is it legal for you to whip a Roman citizen who hasn't been condemned?"

yelling, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere to turn against our people, the Law, and this place. More than that, he has even brought Greeks into the Temple and desecrated this Holy Place."

After several days had gone by, the Jewish leaders plotted to murder Saul,

Leaving the jail, Paul and Silas went to Lydia's house. They saw the brothers, encouraged them, and then left.

So Peter went to the men and said, "I'm the man you're looking for. Why are you here?"

He successfully refuted the Jews in public and proved by the Scriptures that Jesus is the Messiah.

But at night the angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and led them out. The angel told them,

For the people who live in Jerusalem and their leaders, not knowing who Jesus was, condemned him and so fulfilled the words of the prophets that are read every Sabbath.

Now he was returning home, seated in his chariot, and reading from the prophet Isaiah.

As they were leaving, they began to say to each other, "This man hasn't been doing anything to deserve death or imprisonment."