But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth."

Peter said to them, "Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

They were devoting themselves to the apostles' teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.

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

Now when the day of Pentecost had come, they were all together in one place.

Watch out for yourselves and for all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God that he obtained with the blood of his own Son.

These Jews were more open-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they eagerly received the message, examining the scriptures carefully every day to see if these things were so.

All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit, and they began to speak in other languages as the Spirit enabled them.

They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household."

So those who accepted his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand people were added.

After he had said this, while they were watching, he was lifted up and a cloud hid him from their sight.

On the first day of the week, when we met to break bread, Paul began to speak to the people, and because he intended to leave the next day, he extended his message until midnight.

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

Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out,

Therefore, although God has overlooked such times of ignorance, he now commands all people everywhere to repent,

Now in those days, when the disciples were growing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews against the native Hebraic Jews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.

Then Peter started speaking: "I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people,

The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea at once, during the night. When they arrived, they went to the Jewish synagogue.

I wrote the former account, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach

From one man he made every nation of the human race to inhabit the entire earth, determining their set times and the fixed limits of the places where they would live,

Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats to murder the Lord's disciples, went to the high priest

"Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, wonders, and miraculous signs that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know --

But Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the sale of the land?

Now when they heard this, they were acutely distressed and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, "What should we do, brothers?"

And in the last days it will be,' God says, 'that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, and your sons and your daughters will prophesy, and your young men will see visions, and your old men will dream dreams.

While he was with them, he declared, "Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about from me.

with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, that God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, because God was with him.

Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius the Cyrenian, Manaen (a close friend of Herod the tetrarch from childhood) and Saul.

Then an angel of the Lord said to Philip, "Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza." (This is a desert road.)

But Peter and the apostles replied, "We must obey God rather than people.

The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common.

So when they had gathered together, they began to ask him, "Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?"

Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ."

Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property.

For in him we live and move about and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, 'For we too are his offspring.'

So the young men came, wrapped him up, carried him out, and buried him.

While Apollos was in Corinth, Paul went through the inland regions and came to Ephesus. He found some disciples there

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

and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught a significant number of people. Now it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

Now some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, "Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved."

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

The God who made the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands,

She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, "These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation."

To the same apostles also, after his suffering, he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. He was seen by them over a forty-day period and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God.

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.

All who believed were together and held everything in common,

By all these things, I have shown you that by working in this way we must help the weak, and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, 'It is more blessed to give than to receive.'"

But Peter stood up with the eleven, raised his voice, and addressed them: "You men of Judea and all you who live in Jerusalem, know this and listen carefully to what I say.

For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now."

And then everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'

All these continued together in prayer with one mind, together with the women, along with Mary the mother of Jesus, and his brothers.

this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles.

But I do not consider my life worth anything to myself, so that I may finish my task and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news of God's grace.

Now as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. She brought her owners a great profit by fortune-telling.

From Miletus he sent a message to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on all those who heard the message.

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,

Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, "Look, there is water! What is to stop me from being baptized?"

They strengthened the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue in the faith, saying, "We must enter the kingdom of God through many persecutions."

to open their eyes so that they turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.'

Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time for prayer, at three o'clock in the afternoon.

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

When they had appointed elders for them in the various churches, with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the protection of the Lord in whom they had believed.

because he has set a day on which he is going to judge the world in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, having provided proof to everyone by raising him from the dead."

He told them, "You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.

But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they began to be baptized, both men and women.

And Saul agreed completely with killing. Now on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria.

testifying to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus.

And now I entrust you to God and to the message of his grace. This message is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified.

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

So Paul stood before the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in all respects.

for he was counted as one of us and received a share in this ministry."

All the people, from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, "This man is the power of God that is called 'Great.'"

They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message in the province of Asia.

When they had entered Jerusalem, they went to the upstairs room where they were staying. Peter and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James were there.

A woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, a God-fearing woman, listened to us. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.

When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice and praise the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life believed.

About him all the prophets testify, that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."

In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a gathering of about one hundred and twenty people) and said,

I know that after I am gone fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.

So they took Paul and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, "May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming?

While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, his spirit was greatly upset because he saw the city was full of idols.

So the lame man paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them.

When they heard this, they ceased their objections and praised God, saying, "So then, God has granted the repentance that leads to life even to the Gentiles."

After an interval of about three hours, his wife came in, but she did not know what had happened.

For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself."

While Peter and John were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to them,

In it were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth and wild birds.

So then, exalted to the right hand of God, and having received the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he has poured out what you both see and hear.

Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means Dorcas). She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity.

"You stubborn people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors did!

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

The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers also went with me, and we entered the man's house.

After this Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.

About that time King Herod laid hands on some from the church to harm them.

When they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and discovered that they were uneducated and ordinary men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus.

This one heaven must receive until the time all things are restored, which God declared from times long ago through his holy prophets.

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the rest of the prisoners were listening to them.

so that the rest of humanity may seek the Lord, namely, all the Gentiles I have called to be my own,' says the Lord, who makes these things

I have a hope in God (a hope that these men themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous.

In this way the word of the Lord continued to grow in power and to prevail.

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until the day he was taken up to heaven, after he had given orders by the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

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

The word of God continued to spread, the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased greatly, and a large group of priests became obedient to the faith.

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

let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy.

But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, looked intently toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.

Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed them from the scriptures,

Now many miraculous signs and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By common consent they were all meeting together in Solomon's Portico.

Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great.

Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen went as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the message to no one but Jews.

When they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak the word of God courageously.

He also came to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but whose father was a Greek.

"No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?"

and rescued him from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and over all his household.

Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted the word of God.

God exalted him to his right hand as Leader and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.

But God raised him up, having released him from the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power.

For I did not hold back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God.

But the Lord said to him, "Go, because this man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel.

But Peter and John replied, "Whether it is right before God to obey you rather than God, you decide,

For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules:

After making Peter and John stand in their midst, they began to inquire, "By what power or by what name did you do this?"

Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker, well-versed in the scriptures.

But carefully select from among you, brothers, seven men who are well-attested, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this necessary task.

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

Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must obey him in everything he tells you.

But this is what was spoken about through the prophet Joel:

Peter said to her, "Tell me, were the two of you paid this amount for the land?" Sapphira said, "Yes, that much."

Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word.

Moving on from Perga, they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, and on the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.

This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it.

They continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"

A vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there urging him, "Come over to Macedonia and help us!"

"Brothers, I can speak confidently to you about our forefather David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day.

This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so that in their own language they called that field Hakeldama, that is, "Field of Blood.")

Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this one forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

About noon the next day, while they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.

For you are bringing some surprising things to our ears, so we want to know what they mean."

and by this one everyone who believes is justified from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify you.

And tongues spreading out like a fire appeared to them and came to rest on each one of them.

"Brothers, the scripture had to be fulfilled that the Holy Spirit foretold through David concerning Judas -- who became the guide for those who arrested Jesus --

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's return and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord to see how they are doing."

And we are witnesses of these events, and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him."

Simeon has explained how God first concerned himself to select from among the Gentiles a people for his name.

When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind and said, "Master of all, you who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them,

As they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly two men in white clothing stood near them

so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.

The proposal pleased the entire group, so they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch.

Philip went down to the main city of Samaria and began proclaiming the Christ to them.

"For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed,

But Peter said, "Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!"

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!"

Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, leaders among the brothers, to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.

This is the man who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and he received living oracles to give to you.

After removing him, God raised up David their king. He testified about him: 'I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart, who will accomplish everything I want him to do.'

When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered.

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

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced peace and thus was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church increased in numbers.

because you will not leave my soul in Hades, nor permit your Holy One to experience decay.

but that we should write them a letter telling them to abstain from things defiled by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled and from blood.

Reverential awe came over everyone, and many wonders and miraculous signs came about by the apostles.

So when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time.

Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees), and they were filled with jealousy.

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

You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming to you anything that would be helpful, and from teaching you publicly and from house to house,

(Now this man Judas acquired a field with the reward of his unjust deed, and falling headfirst he burst open in the middle and all his intestines gushed out.

When they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, screaming, "These people who have stirred up trouble throughout the world have come here too,

And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic.

As he was going along, approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

"I am a Jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up in this city, educated with strictness under Gamaliel according to the law of our ancestors, and was zealous for God just as all of you are today.

So he replied, "Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,

Suddenly a sound like a violent wind blowing came from heaven and filled the entire house where they were sitting.

With many other words he testified and exhorted them saying, "Save yourselves from this perverse generation!"

And every day both in the temple courts and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus was the Christ.

He commanded us to preach to the people and to warn them that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead.

Completely baffled, they said, "Aren't all these who are speaking Galileans?

Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, replied, "Rulers of the people and elders,

He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter,

Thus one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time the Lord Jesus associated with us,

So since we are God's offspring, we should not think the deity is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by human skill and imagination.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven residing in Jerusalem.

So then, because he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants on his throne,

nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone.

You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all) --

God was performing extraordinary miracles by Paul's hands,

But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word."

(All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time in nothing else than telling or listening to something new.)

The God of our forefathers raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree.

So Philip started speaking, and beginning with this scripture proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him.

"Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything that is in them.

While they were screaming and throwing off their cloaks and tossing dust in the air,

and he has seen in a vision a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again."

For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: 'To an unknown god.' Therefore what you worship without knowing it, this I proclaim to you.

David by foreseeing this spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, that he was neither abandoned to Hades, nor did his body experience decay.

yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying you with food and your hearts with joy."

This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, that has become the cornerstone.

to assume the task of this service and apostleship from which Judas turned aside to go to his own place."

Then the high priest said, "Are these things true?"

but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, performing deeds consistent with repentance.

Do you believe the prophets, King Agrippa? I know that you believe."

Peter then told her, "Why have you agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!"

On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph's family became known to Pharaoh.

On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are."

Paul, after staying many more days in Corinth, said farewell to the brothers and sailed away to Syria accompanied by Priscilla and Aquila. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea because he had made a vow.

Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, "Ananias," and he replied, "Here I am, Lord."

Crispus, the president of the synagogue, believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard about it believed and were baptized.

So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated "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 depart from Rome. Paul approached them,

And now, Lord, pay attention to their threats, and grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage,

So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed his hands on Saul and said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit."

When she recognized Peter's voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told them that Peter was standing at the gate.

When Peter realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many people had gathered together and were praying.

So the twelve called the whole group of the disciples together and said, "It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables.

Then when Paul noticed that part of them were Sadducees and the others Pharisees, he shouted out in the council, "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection of the dead!"

The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our forefathers, has glorified his servant Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected in the presence of Pilate after he had decided to release him.

Then a famine occurred throughout Egypt and Canaan, causing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.

For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says, 'The Lord said to my lord, "Sit at my right hand

For a period of about forty years he put up with them in the wilderness.

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

After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that some time ago God chose me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message of the gospel and believe.

But I confess this to you, that I worship the God of our ancestors according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law and that is written in the prophets.

For there was no one needy among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds from the sales

The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and made the people great during their stay as foreigners in the country of Egypt, and with uplifted arm he led them out of it.

When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported all the things God had done with them, and that he had opened a door of faith for the Gentiles.

and when Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they began to speak in tongues and to prophesy.

He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"

When they asked him to stay longer, he would not consent,

Then a voice said to him, "Get up, Peter; slaughter and eat!"

Yet they were not able to resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke.

known from long ago.

Great fear gripped the whole church and all who heard about these things.

But Ananias replied, "Lord, I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem,

What then should we do? They will no doubt hear that you have come.

except that the Holy Spirit warns me in town after town that imprisonment and persecutions are waiting for me.

At once she collapsed at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband.

So Joseph sent a message and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come, seventy-five people in all.

if we are being examined today for a good deed done to a sick man -- by what means this man was healed --

Then they secretly instigated some men to say, "We have heard this man speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God."

and provide mounts for Paul to ride so that he may be brought safely to Felix the governor."

Now while Peter was puzzling over what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon's house was and approached the gate.

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.

He motioned to them with his hand to be quiet and then related how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. He said, "Tell James and the brothers these things," and then he left and went to another place.

He jumped up, stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts with them, walking and leaping and praising God.

They incited the people, the elders, and the experts in the law; then they approached Stephen, seized him, and brought him before the council.

All were astounded and greatly confused, saying to one another, "What does this mean?"

This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven.

So do what we tell you: We have four men who have taken a vow;

These two went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit.

The jailer brought them into his house and set food before them, and he rejoiced greatly that he had come to believe in God, together with his entire household.

When they had brought them before the magistrates, they said, "These men are throwing our city into confusion. They are Jews

So after sending two of his assistants, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia.

and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison all who call on your name!"

All the people saw him walking and praising God,

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Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were greatly astonished.

and are advocating customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans."

the commanding officer ordered Paul to be brought back into the barracks. He told them to interrogate Paul by beating him with a lash so that he could find out the reason the crowd was shouting at Paul in this way.

But they said to her, "You've lost your mind!" But she kept insisting that it was Peter, and they kept saying, "It is his angel!"

For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name."

but said farewell to them and added, "I will come back to you again if God wills." Then he set sail from Ephesus,

Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled forty years.

Therefore if God gave them the same gift as he also gave us after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to hinder God?"

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.

At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would give him money, and for this reason he sent for Paul as often as possible and talked with him.

Even by saying these things, they scarcely persuaded the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.

All this took about four hundred fifty years. After this he gave them judges until the time of Samuel the prophet.

They called out to ask if Simon, known as Peter, was staying there as a guest.

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

But there were some men from Cyprus and Cyrene among them who came to Antioch and began to speak to the Greeks too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus.

After he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance.

They brought forward false witnesses who said, "This man does not stop saying things against this holy place and the law.

None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high honor.

But get up, go down, and accompany them without hesitation, because I have sent them."

But I have nothing definite to write to my lord about him. Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, so that after this preliminary hearing I may have something to write.

Now Herod was having an angry quarrel with the people of Tyre and Sidon. So they joined together and presented themselves before him. And after convincing Blastus, the king's personal assistant, to help them, they asked for peace, because their country's food supply was provided by the king's country.

They sent this letter with them: From the apostles and elders, your brothers, to the Gentile brothers and sisters in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, greetings!

At daybreak there was great consternation among the soldiers over what had become of Peter.

When Herod had searched for him and did not find him, he questioned the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.

He wrote a letter that went like this:

A report about them came to the attention of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.

Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

On a day determined in advance, Herod put on his royal robes, sat down on the judgment seat, and made a speech to them.

Paul replied, "I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains."

After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison and commanded the jailer to guard them securely.

And I will perform wonders in the sky above and miraculous signs on the earth below, blood and fire and clouds of smoke.

So Jacob went down to Egypt and died there, along with our ancestors,

and after taking some food, his strength returned. For several days he was with the disciples in Damascus,

and their bones were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

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

A crowd of people from the towns around Jerusalem also came together, bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits. They were all being healed.

And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this.

All who were sitting in the council looked intently at Stephen and saw his face was like the face of an angel.

For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought a great deal of business to the craftsmen.

From the descendants of this man God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised.

But the word of God kept on increasing and multiplying.

But the crowd began to shout, "The voice of a god, and not of a man!"

Because they were afraid that we would run aground on the rocky coast, they threw out four anchors from the stern and wished for day to appear.

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

But while John was completing his mission, he said repeatedly, 'What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!'

Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced; my body also will live in hope,

But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, they began to confer with one another,

who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

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

and when he arrived at Caesarea, he went up and greeted the church at Jerusalem and then went down to Antioch.

and when he had been abandoned, Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and brought him up as her own son.

"But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, the people increased greatly in number in Egypt,

While Peter was still thinking seriously about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Look! Three men are looking for you.

Now when they heard about the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, but others said, "We will hear you again about this."

saying, "What should we do with these men? For it is plain to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign has come about through them, and we cannot deny it.

All who heard him were amazed and were saying, "Is this not the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners to the chief priests?"

But some people joined him and believed. Among them were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

take them and purify yourself along with them and pay their expenses, so that they may have their heads shaved. Then everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with the law.

But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name."

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.

angry because they were teaching the people and announcing in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

They said, "Cornelius the centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message from you."

At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful to God. For three months he was brought up in his father's house,

Since we have heard that some have gone out from among us with no orders from us and have confused you, upsetting your minds by what they said,

But his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening in the wall by lowering him in a basket.

Even some of the provincial authorities who were his friends sent a message to him, urging him not to venture into the theater.

until another king who did not know about Joseph ruled over Egypt.

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

The next day, because the commanding officer wanted to know the true reason Paul was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council to assemble. He then brought Paul down and had him stand before them.

When they had stretched him out for the lash, Paul said to the centurion standing nearby, "Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen without a proper trial?"

shouting, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, and this sanctuary! Furthermore he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple and made this holy place ritually unclean!"

Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted together to kill him,

When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia's house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then departed.

So Peter went down to the men and said, "Here I am, the person you're looking for. Why have you come?"

for he refuted the Jews vigorously in public debate, demonstrating from the scriptures that the Christ was Jesus.

But during the night an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the prison, led them out, and said,

For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him, and they fulfilled the sayings of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning him.

and was returning home, sitting in his chariot, reading the prophet Isaiah.

and as they were leaving they said to one another, "This man is not doing anything deserving death or imprisonment."

This was the one who exploited our people and was cruel to our ancestors, forcing them to abandon their infants so they would die.

Before Jesus arrived, John had proclaimed a baptism for repentance to all the people of Israel.

saying, "Give me this power too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit."

When the centurion heard this, he went to the commanding officer and reported it, saying, "What are you about to do? For this man is a Roman citizen."

But when he was about forty years old, it entered his mind to visit his fellow countrymen the Israelites.

For unclean spirits, crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, and many paralyzed and lame people were healed.

For the man, on whom this miraculous sign of healing had been performed, was over forty years old.

He kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his wife's knowledge; he brought only part of it and placed it at the apostles' feet.

They laid hands on the apostles and put them in a public jail.

They did so, sending their financial aid to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

For I see that you are bitterly envious and in bondage to sin."

Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor Felix, greetings.

So they seized them and put them in jail until the next day (for it was already evening).

But after the disciples had surrounded him, he got up and went back into the city. On the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus."

When they heard this, they entered the temple courts at daybreak and began teaching. Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin -- that is, the whole high council of the Israelites -- and sent to the jail to have the apostles brought before them.

The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, as they heard and saw the miraculous signs he was performing.

You have no share or part in this matter because your heart is not right before God!

"Go and stand in the temple courts and proclaim to the people all the words of this life."

Some devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation over him.

He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him.

But someone came and reported to them, "Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts and teaching the people!"

When they heard this they became enraged and began to shout, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!"

So Peter invited them in and entertained them as guests. On the next day he got up and set out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa accompanied him.

After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising God for what had happened.

Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds of all the prisoners came loose.

but Saul learned of their plot against him. They were also watching the city gates day and night so that they could kill him.

"We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, we found no one inside."

There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be regarded as nothing, and she whom all the province of Asia and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness."

While they were trying to kill him, a report was sent up to the commanding officer of the cohort that all Jerusalem was in confusion.

When Ananias heard these words he collapsed and died, and great fear gripped all who heard about it.

Now when the commander of the temple guard and the chief priests heard this report, they were greatly puzzled concerning it, wondering what this could be.

Then Paul took the men the next day, and after he had purified himself along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice of the completion of the days of purification, when the sacrifice would be offered for each of them.

Paul answered, "I am a Jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. Please allow me to speak to the people."

and the rest were to follow, some on planks and some on pieces of the ship. And in this way all were brought safely to land.

But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided that they should avoid meat that has been sacrificed to idols and blood and what has been strangled and sexual immorality."

So there was great joy in that city.

But when Paul wanted to enter the public assembly, the disciples would not let him.

to do as much as your power and your plan had decided beforehand would happen.

When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.)

The kings of the earth stood together, and the rulers assembled together, against the Lord and against his Christ.'

After the city secretary quieted the crowd, he said, "Men of Ephesus, what person is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper of the temple of the great Artemis and of her image that fell from heaven?

When Peter came to himself, he said, "Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting to happen."

But the officers who came for them did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported,

When the man said this, Moses fled and became a foreigner in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcised believers took issue with him,

After they had passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate leading into the city. It opened for them by itself, and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, when at once the angel left him.

So after Peter and John had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming the good news to many Samaritan villages as they went.

Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God made him move to this country where you now live.

But when they recognized that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, "Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!" for about two hours.

So then some were shouting one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had met together.

Cornelius replied, "Four days ago at this very hour, at three o'clock in the afternoon, I was praying in my house, and suddenly a man in shining clothing stood before me

But Simon replied, "You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to me."

He thought his own people would understand that God was delivering them through him, but they did not understand.

He did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, not even a foot of ground, yet God promised to give it to him as his possession, and to his descendants after him, even though Abraham as yet had no child.

The man replied, "How in the world can I, unless someone guides me?" So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

When he saw one of them being hurt unfairly, Moses came to his defense and avenged the person who was mistreated by striking down the Egyptian.

So they spent considerable time with the disciples.

Then they passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia,

On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while guards in front of the door were keeping watch over the prison.

Then the soldiers cut the ropes of the ship's boat and let it drift away.

and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity have been remembered before God.

Then you're not that Egyptian who started a rebellion and led the four thousand men of the 'Assassins' into the wilderness some time ago?"

But God spoke as follows: 'Your descendants will be foreigners in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years.

But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,' said God, 'and after these things they will come out of there and worship me in this place.'

When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, he asked them for money.

When the seven days were almost over, the Jews from the province of Asia who had seen him in the temple area stirred up the whole crowd and seized him,

As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, he said to the commanding officer, "May I say something to you?" The officer replied, "Do you know Greek?

saying, "You went to uncircumcised men and shared a meal with them."

They all began to weep loudly, and hugged Paul and kissed him,

Paul was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, Gaius from Derbe, and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia.

Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house.

But Barnabas took Saul, brought him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

So Paul left the Areopagus.

As day was about to dawn, Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, "Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense and have gone without food; you have eaten nothing.

The whole city was stirred up, and the people rushed together. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, and immediately the doors were shut.

This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again.

When the commanding officer had given him permission, Paul stood on the steps and gestured to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, he addressed them in Aramaic,

And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed him, have spoken about and announced these days.

As I stared I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, and wild birds.

and said to him, 'Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.'

Therefore we are sending Judas and Silas who will tell you these things themselves in person.

Some of the crowd concluded it was about Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front. Alexander, gesturing with his hand, was wanting to make a defense before the public assembly.

But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming (along with many others) the word of the Lord.

The next day they let the horsemen go on with him, and they returned to the barracks.

The next day Moses saw two men fighting, and tried to make peace between them, saying, 'Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?'

The angel said to him, "Fasten your belt and put on your sandals." Peter did so. Then the angel said to him, "Put on your cloak and follow me."

The city was filled with the uproar, and the crowd rushed to the theater together, dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul's traveling companions.

But the man who was unfairly hurting his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying, 'Who made you a ruler and judge over us?

And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded and turned away a large crowd, not only in Ephesus but in practically all of the province of Asia, by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.

When he came to the steps, Paul had to be carried by the soldiers because of the violence of the mob,

This man was seized by the Jews and they were about to kill him, when I came up with the detachment and rescued him, because I had learned that he was a Roman citizen.

Since I wanted to know what charge they were accusing him of, I brought him down to their council.

"I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, an object something like a large sheet descending, being let down from heaven by its four corners, and it came to me.

Then Paul and his companions put out to sea from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and returned to Jerusalem.

But Peter began and explained it to them point by point, saying,

Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, "It was necessary to speak the word of God to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles.

He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to the crowd. When they saw the commanding officer and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

When he had said these things, he knelt down with them all and prayed.

After they had spent some time there, they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them.

Then the commander of the temple guard went with the officers and brought the apostles without the use of force (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people).

At that very moment, three men sent to me from Caesarea approached the house where we were staying.

But if you want anything in addition, it will have to be settled in a legal assembly.

Then when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and were lowering the ship's boat into the sea, pretending that they were going to put out anchors from the bow,

Now while Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews attacked Paul together and brought him before the judgment seat,

Therefore when you sent for me, I came without any objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?"

When they arrived in Salamis, they began to proclaim the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. (Now they also had John as their assistant.)

So he got up and went. There he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship,

For three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything.

So he was staying with them, associating openly with them in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.

Also some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him, and some were asking, "What does this foolish babbler want to say?" Others said, "He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods." (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.)

I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter; slaughter and eat!'

So they slipped the anchors and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the linkage that bound the steering oars together. Then they hoisted the foresail to the wind and steered toward the beach.

I have desired no one's silver or gold or clothing.

explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ."

that this promise God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son; today I have fathered you.'

Then he fell to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them!" When he had said this, he died.

So because these facts are indisputable, you must keep quiet and not do anything reckless.

When they had eaten enough to be satisfied, they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat into the sea.

So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, he could see nothing. Leading him by the hand, his companions brought him into Damascus.

After he had gone through those regions and spoken many words of encouragement to the believers there, he came to Greece,

So the commanding officer came and asked Paul, "Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?" He replied, "Yes."

He began to speak out fearlessly in the synagogue, but when Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside and explained the way of God to him more accurately.

But I said, 'Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth!'

So all of them were encouraged and took food themselves.