New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Choosing of the Seven

1 Now at this time while the disciples were increasingin number,a complaint arose on the part of theHellenisticJewsagainst thenativeHebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily servingof food.

2 So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables.

3 Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task.

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

5 The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, aproselyte from Antioch.

6 And these they brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid their hands on them.

7 The word of God kept on spreading; and the number of the disciples continued to increase greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were becoming obedient to the faith.

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

9 But some men from what was called the Synagogue of the Freedmen,includingboth Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and argued with Stephen.

10 But they were unable to cope with the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking.

11 Then they secretly induced men to say, “We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses andagainstGod.”

12 And they stirred up the people, the elders and the scribes, and they came up to him and dragged him away and brought him before the Council.

13 They put forward false witnesses who said, “This man incessantly speaks against this holy place and the Law;

14 for we have heard him say that this Nazarene, Jesus, will destroy this place and alter the customs which Moses handed down to us.”

15 And fixing their gaze on him, all who were sitting in the Council saw his face like the face of an angel.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/ACT/6-d24b1bd0a8fa878f881305846fc01332.mp3?version_id=100—

Stephen’s Defense

1 The high priest said, “Are these things so?”

2 And he said, “Hear me, brethren and fathers! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran,

3 and said to him, ‘Leave your country and your relatives,and come into the land thatIwill show you.’

4 Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died,Godhad him move to this country in which you are now living.

5 But He gave him no inheritance in it, not even a foot of ground, andyet,even when he had no child, He promised that He would give it to him as apossession,and to his descendants after him.

6 But God spoke to this effect, that hisdescendants would be aliens in a foreign land,and that they wouldbe enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years.

7 ‘And whatever nation to which they will be in bondageI Myself will judge,’ said God, ‘andafter that they will come out andserveMein this place.’

8 And He gave him the covenant of circumcision; and soAbrahambecame the father of Isaac, and circumcised him on the eighth day; and Isaacbecame the father ofJacob, and Jacobofthe twelve patriarchs.

9 “The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt.YetGod was with him,

10 and rescued him from all his afflictions, and granted him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and he made him governor over Egypt and all his household.

11 “Now a famine came over all Egypt and Canaan, and great afflictionwith it,and our fathers could find no food.

12 But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fatherstherethe first time.

13 On the secondvisitJoseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family was disclosed to Pharaoh.

14 Then Joseph sentwordand invited Jacob his father and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five personsin all.

15 And Jacob went down to Egypt andtherehe and our fathers died.

16 From therethey were removed to Shechem and laid in the tomb which Abraham had purchased for a sum of money from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

17 “But as the time of the promise was approaching which God had assured to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt,

18 untilthere arose another king overEgypt who knew nothing aboutJoseph.

19 It was he who took shrewd advantage of our race and mistreated our fathers so that they would expose their infants and they would not survive.

20 It was at this time that Moses was born; and he was lovely in the sight of God, and he was nurtured three months in his father’s home.

21 And after he had been set outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him away and nurtured him as her own son.

22 Moses was educated in all the learning of the Egyptians, and he was a man of power in words and deeds.

23 But when he was approaching the age of forty, it entered his mind to visit his brethren, the sons of Israel.

24 And when he saw oneof thembeing treated unjustly, he defended him and took vengeance for the oppressed by striking down the Egyptian.

25 And he supposed that his brethren understood that God was granting them deliverance through him, but they did not understand.

26 On the following day he appeared to them as they were fighting together, and he tried to reconcile them in peace, saying, ‘Men, you are brethren, why do you injure one another?’

27 But the one who was injuring his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge overus?

28 You do not mean to kill me as you killed theEgyptian yesterday,do you?’

29 At this remark, Moses fled and became an alien in the land ofMidian, where he became the father of two sons.

30 “After forty years had passed,an angel appeared to him in the wilderness ofMountSinai,in the flame of a burning thorn bush.

31 When Moses saw it, he marveled at the sight; and as he approached to lookmoreclosely, there came the voice of the Lord:

32 ‘Iam theGod of your fathers,theGod ofAbraham andIsaac andJacob.’ Moses shook with fear and would not venture to look.

33 But theLord said to him,’Takeoff the sandals from your feet,for the place on which you arestanding is holy ground.

34 Ihave certainly seen the oppression ofMy people inEgypt and have heard their groans,andIhave come down to rescue them;come now,andIwill send you toEgypt.’

35 “This Moses whom they disowned, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’ is the one whom God sentto beboth a ruler and a deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the thorn bush.

36 This man led them out, performing wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the wilderness for forty years.

37 This is the Moses who said to the sons of Israel, ‘God will raise up for youa prophetlike me from your brethren.’

38 This is the one who was in the congregation in the wilderness together with the angel who was speaking to him on Mount Sinai, andwho waswith our fathers; and he received living oracles to pass on to you.

39 Our fathers were unwilling to be obedient to him, but repudiated him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt,

40 saying toAaron, ‘Make for us gods who will go before us;for thisMoses who led us out of the land ofEgypt-we do not know what happened to him.’

41 At that time they made a calf and brought a sacrifice to the idol, and were rejoicing in the works of their hands.

42 But God turned away and delivered them up to serve the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, ‘It was not toMe that you offered victims and sacrificesforty years in the wilderness,was it, Ohouse ofIsrael?

43 You also took along the tabernacle ofMoloch and the star of the godRompha,the images which you made to worship. Ialso will remove you beyondBabylon.’

44 “Our fathers had the tabernacle of testimony in the wilderness, just as He who spoke to Moses directedhimto make it according to the pattern which he had seen.

45 And having received it in their turn, our fathers brought it in with Joshua upon dispossessing the nations whom God drove out before our fathers, until the time of David.

46 Davidfound favor in God’s sight, and asked that he might find a dwelling place for theGod of Jacob.

47 But it was Solomon who built a house for Him.

48 However, the Most High does not dwell inhousesmade byhumanhands; as the prophet says:

49 ‘Heaven isMy throne,

And earth is the footstool ofMy feet;

What kind of house willyoubuild forMe?’ says the Lord,

‘Or what place is there forMy repose?

50 ‘Was it notMy hand which made all these things?’

51 “You men who are stiff-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears are always resisting the Holy Spirit; you are doing just as your fathers did.

52 Which one of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who had previously announced the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become;

53 you who received the law as ordained by angels, andyetdid not keep it.”

Stephen Put to Death

54 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and theybegangnashing their teeth at him.

55 But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God;

56 and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

57 But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse.

58 When they had driven him out of the city, theybeganstoninghim;and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul.

59 They went on stoning Stephen as he called onthe Lordand said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!”

60 Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/ACT/7-740521646bcc2f6c7a990a2f0de6b9ec.mp3?version_id=100—

Saul Persecutes the Church

1 Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death.

And on that day a great persecution began against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

2 Somedevout men buried Stephen, and made loud lamentation over him.

3 But Saulbeganravaging the church, entering house after house, and dragging off men and women, he would put them in prison.

Philip in Samaria

4 Therefore, those who had been scattered went about preaching the word.

5 Philip went down to the city of Samaria andbeganproclaiming Christ to them.

6 The crowds with one accord were giving attention to what was said by Philip, as they heard and saw the signs which he was performing.

7 Forin the case ofmany who had unclean spirits, they were coming outof themshouting with a loud voice; and many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.

8 So there was much rejoicing in that city.

9 Now there was a man named Simon, who formerly was practicing magic in the city and astonishing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great;

10 and they all, from smallest to greatest, were giving attention to him, saying, “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.”

11 And they were giving him attention because he had for a long time astonished them with his magic arts.

12 But when they believed Philip preaching the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized, men and women alike.

13 Even Simon himself believed; and after being baptized, he continued on with Philip, and as he observed signs and great miracles taking place, he was constantly amazed.

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

15 who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit.

16 For He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.

17 Then theybeganlaying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit.

18 Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was bestowed through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

19 saying, “Give this authority to me as well, so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

21 You have no part or portion in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.

22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray the Lord that, if possible, the intention of your heart may be forgiven you.

23 For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”

24 But Simon answered and said, “Pray to the Lord for me yourselves, so that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”

An Ethiopian Receives Christ

25 So, when they had solemnly testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they started back to Jerusalem, and were preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

26 But an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south to the road that descends from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is a desertroad.)

27 So he got up and went; and there was an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure; and he had come to Jerusalem to worship,

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

29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.”

30 Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

31 And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32 Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this:

“He was led as a sheep to slaughter;

And as a lamb before its shearer is silent,

SoHe does not openHis mouth.

33 “In humiliationHis judgment was taken away;

Who willrelateHisgeneration?

ForHis life is removed from the earth.”

34 The eunuch answered Philip and said, “Pleasetell me,of whom does the prophet say this? Of himself or of someone else?”

35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture he preached Jesus to him.

36 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?”

37 [And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”]

38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.

40 But Philip found himself at Azotus, and as he passed through he kept preaching the gospel to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/ACT/8-b1212c51b92689448c4e39d42a614a16.mp3?version_id=100—

The Conversion of Saul

1 Now Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest,

2 and asked for letters from him to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, both men and women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

3 As he was traveling, it happened that he was approaching Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him;

4 and he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him,”Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?”

5 And he said, “Who are You, Lord?” And Hesaid,”I am Jesus whom you are persecuting,

6 but get up and enter the city, and it will be told you what you must do.”

7 The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.

8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing; and leading him by the hand, they brought him into Damascus.

9 And he was three days without sight, and neither ate nor drank.

10 Now there was a disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and the Lord said to him in a vision,”Ananias.”And he said, “Here I am, Lord.”

11 And the Lordsaidto him,”Get up and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying,

12 and he has seenin a vision a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him, so that he might regain his sight.”

13 But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he did to Your saints at Jerusalem;

14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name.”

15 But the Lord said to him,”Go, for he is a choseninstrument of Mine, to bear My name before the Gentiles and kings and the sons of Israel;

16 for I will show him how much he must suffer for My name’s sake.”

17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, and after laying his hands on him said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road by which you were coming, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

18 And immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he regained his sight, and he got up and was baptized;

19 and he took food and was strengthened.

Saul Begins to Preach Christ

Now for several days he was with the disciples who were at Damascus,

20 and immediately hebeganto proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

21 All those hearing him continued to be amazed, and were saying, “Is this not he who in Jerusalem destroyed those who called on this name, andwhohad come here for the purpose of bringing them bound before the chief priests?”

22 But Saul kept increasing in strength and confounding the Jews who lived at Damascus by proving that thisJesusis the Christ.

23 When many days had elapsed, the Jews plotted together to do away with him,

24 but their plot became known to Saul. They were also watching the gates day and night so that they might put him to death;

25 but his disciples took him by night and let him down throughan opening inthe wall, lowering him in a large basket.

26 When he came to Jerusalem, he was trying to associate with the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

27 But Barnabas took hold of him and brought him to the apostles and described to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and that He had talked to him, and how at Damascus he had spoken out boldly in the name of Jesus.

28 And he was with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord.

29 And he was talking and arguing with the HellenisticJews;but they were attempting to put him to death.

30 But when the brethren learnedof it,they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him away to Tarsus.

31 So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria enjoyed peace, being built up; and going on in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it continued to increase.

Peter’s Ministry

32 Now as Peter was traveling through allthose regions,he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.

33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden eight years, for he was paralyzed.

34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you; get up and make your bed.” Immediately he got up.

35 And all who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translatedin Greekis called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did.

37 And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room.

38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, “Do not delay in coming to us.”

39 So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all thetunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them.

40 But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

42 It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

43 And Peter stayed many days in Joppa with a tannernamedSimon.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/ACT/9-79ceb84146013017c6747f7b5a4b3dec.mp3?version_id=100—

Cornelius’s Vision

1 Nowthere wasa man at Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italiancohort,

2 a devout man and one who feared God with all his household, and gave manyalms to theJewishpeople and prayed to God continually.

3 About theninth hour of the day he clearly saw in a vision an angel of God who hadjustcome in and said to him, “Cornelius!”

4 And fixing his gaze on him and being much alarmed, he said, “What is it, Lord?” And he said to him, “Your prayers andalms have ascended as a memorial before God.

5 Now dispatchsomemen to Joppa and send for a mannamedSimon, who is also called Peter;

6 he is staying with a tannernamedSimon, whose house is by the sea.”

7 When the angel who was speaking to him had left, he summoned two of his servants and a devout soldier of those who were his personal attendants,

8 and after he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

9 On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about thesixth hour to pray.

10 But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance;

11 and he saw the sky opened up, and anobject like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,

12 and there were in it allkinds offour-footed animals andcrawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air.

13 A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”

14 But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.”

15 Again a voicecameto him a second time, “What God has cleansed, nolongerconsider unholy.”

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

17 Now while Peter was greatly perplexed in mind as to what the vision which he had seen might be, behold, the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions for Simon’s house, appeared at the gate;

18 and calling out, they were asking whether Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there.

19 While Peter was reflecting on the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you.

20 But get up, go downstairs and accompany them without misgivings, for I have sent them Myself.”

21 Peter went down to the men and said, “Behold, I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for which you have come?”

22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews, wasdivinelydirected by a holy angel to send for youto cometo his house and hear a message from you.”

23 So he invited them in and gave them lodging.

Peter at Caesarea

And on the next day he got up and went away with them, and some of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him.

24 On the following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for them and had called together his relatives and close friends.

25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell at his feet and worshipedhim.

26 But Peter raised him up, saying, “Stand up; I too amjusta man.”

27 As he talked with him, he entered and found many people assembled.

28 And he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a man who is a Jew to associate with a foreigner or to visit him; andyetGod has shown me that I should not call any man unholy or unclean.

29 That is why I came without even raising any objection when I was sent for. So I ask for what reason you have sent for me.”

30 Cornelius said, “Four days ago to this hour, I was praying in my house during theninth hour; and behold, a man stood before me in shining garments,

31 and he said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God.

32 Therefore send to Joppa and invite Simon, who is also called Peter, to come to you; he is staying at the house of Simonthetanner by the sea.’

33 So I sent for you immediately, and you have been kind enough to come. Now then, we are all here present before God to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.”

Gentiles Hear Good News

34 Opening his mouth, Peter said:

“I most certainly understandnowthat God is not one to show partiality,

35 but in every nation the man who fears Him and does what is right is welcome to Him.

36 The word which He sent to the sons of Israel, preaching peace through Jesus Christ (He is Lord of all)-

37 you yourselves know the thing which took place throughout all Judea, starting from Galilee, after the baptism which John proclaimed.

38 You know ofJesus of Nazareth, how God anointed Him with the Holy Spirit and with power, andhowHe went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him.

39 We are witnesses of all the things He did both in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They also put Him to death by hanging Him on a cross.

40 God raised Him up on the third day and granted that He become visible,

41 not to all the people, but to witnesses who were chosen beforehand by God,that is,to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the dead.

42 And He ordered us to preach to the people, and solemnly to testify that this is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead.

43 Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who were listening to the message.

45 All the circumcised believers who came with Peter were amazed, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also.

46 For they were hearing them speaking with tongues and exalting God. Then Peter answered,

47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as wedid,can he?”

48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/ACT/10-b4b4de4e6da43566627b9693f957a9b9.mp3?version_id=100—

Peter Reports at Jerusalem

1 Now the apostles and the brethren who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles also had received the word of God.

2 And when Peter came up to Jerusalem, those who were circumcised took issue with him,

3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”

4 But Peter beganspeakingandproceededto explain to them in orderly sequence, saying,

5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying; and in a trance I saw a vision, an object coming down like a great sheet lowered by four corners from the sky; and it came right down to me,

6 and when I had fixed my gaze on it and was observing it I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and thecrawling creatures and the birds of the air.

7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’

8 But I said, ‘By no means, Lord, for nothing unholy or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

9 But a voice from heaven answered a second time, ‘What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.’

10 This happened three times, and everything was drawn back up into the sky.

11 And behold, at that moment three men appeared at the house in which we werestaying,having been sent to me from Caesarea.

12 The Spirit told me to go with them without misgivings. These six brethren also went with me and we entered the man’s house.

13 And he reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and have Simon, who is also called Peter, brought here;

14 and he will speak words to you by which you will be saved, you and all your household.’

15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just asHe didupon us at the beginning.

16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say,’John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’

17 Therefore if God gave to them the same gift asHe gaveto us also after believing in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I that I could stand in God’s way?”

18 When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has granted to the Gentiles also the repentancethat leadsto life.”

The Church at Antioch

19 So then those who were scattered because of the persecution that occurred in connection with Stephen made their way to Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except to Jews alone.

20 But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch andbeganspeaking to theGreeks also, preaching the Lord Jesus.

21 And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.

22 The news about them reached the ears of the church at Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas off to Antioch.

23 Then when he arrived and witnessed the grace of God, he rejoiced andbeganto encourage them all with resolute heart to remaintrueto the Lord;

24 for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And considerable numbers were brought to the Lord.

25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul;

26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch.

27 Now at this time some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.

28 One of them named Agabus stood up andbeganto indicate by the Spirit that there would certainly be a great famine all over the world. And this took place in thereignof Claudius.

29 And in the proportion that any of the disciples had means, each of them determined to senda contributionfor the relief of the brethren living in Judea.

30 And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/ACT/11-05ca8edf65f12e5d71bc08af9582b002.mp3?version_id=100—

Peter’s Arrest and Deliverance

1 Now about that time Herod the king laid hands on some who belonged to the church in order to mistreat them.

2 And he had James the brother of John put to death with a sword.

3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter also. Now it was during the days of Unleavened Bread.

4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, delivering him to four squads of soldiers to guard him, intending after the Passover to bring him out before the people.

5 So Peter was kept in the prison, but prayer for him was being made fervently by the church to God.

6 On the very night when Herod was about to bring him forward, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, and guards in front of the door were watching over the prison.

7 And behold, an angel of the Lord suddenly appeared and a light shone in the cell; and he struck Peter’s side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly.” And his chains fell off his hands.

8 And the angel said to him, “Gird yourself and put on your sandals.” And he did so. And he said to him, “Wrap your cloak around you and follow me.”

9 And he went out and continued to follow, and he did not know that what was being done by the angel was real, but thought he was seeing a vision.

10 When they had passed the first and second guard, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened for them by itself; and they went out and went along one street, and immediately the angel departed from him.

11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord has sent forth His angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”

12 And when he realizedthis,he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was also called Mark, where many were gathered together and were praying.

13 When he knocked at the door of the gate, a servant-girl named Rhoda came to answer.

14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, because of her joy she did not open the gate, but ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

15 They said to her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept insisting that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.”

16 But Peter continued knocking; and when they had openedthe door,they saw him and were amazed.

17 But motioning to them with his hand to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had led him out of the prison. And he said, “Report these things to James and the brethren.” Then he left and went to another place.

18 Now when day came, there was no small disturbance among the soldiersas towhat could have become of Peter.

19 When Herod had searched for him and had not found him, he examined the guards and ordered that they be led awayto execution.Then he went down from Judea to Caesarea and was spending time there.

Death of Herod

20 Now he was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon; and with one accord they came to him, and having won over Blastus the king’s chamberlain, they were asking for peace, because their country was fed by the king’s country.

21 On an appointed day Herod, having put on his royal apparel, took his seat on the rostrum andbegandelivering an address to them.

22 The people kept crying out, “The voice of a god and not of a man!”

23 And immediately an angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give God the glory, and he was eaten by worms and died.

24 But the word of the Lord continued to grow and to be multiplied.

25 And Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled their mission, taking along withthemJohn, who was also called Mark.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/ACT/12-c4c804a732ad8f53aa9d73473f2e6588.mp3?version_id=100—

First Missionary Journey

1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that wasthere,prophets and teachers: Barnabas, and Simeon who was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.

2 While they were ministering to the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

3 Then, when they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

4 So, being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia and from there they sailed to Cyprus.

5 When they reached Salamis, theybeganto proclaim the word of God in the synagogues of the Jews; and they also had John as their helper.

6 When they had gone through the whole island as far as Paphos, they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus,

7 who was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, a man of intelligence. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and sought to hear the word of God.

8 But Elymas the magician (for so his name is translated) was opposing them, seeking to turn the proconsul away from the faith.

9 But Saul, who was alsoknown asPaul, filled with the Holy Spirit, fixed his gaze on him,

10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and fraud, you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness, will you not cease to make crooked the straight ways of the Lord?

11 Now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind and not see the sun for a time.” And immediately a mist and a darkness fell upon him, and he went about seeking those who would lead him by the hand.

12 Then the proconsul believed when he saw what had happened, being amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

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

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

15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets the synagogue officials sent to them, saying, “Brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say it.”

16 Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said,

“Men of Israel, and you who fear God, listen:

17 The God of this people Israel chose our fathers and made the people great during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm He led them out from it.

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

19 When He had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, He distributed their land as an inheritance-all of which tookabout four hundred and fifty years.

20 After these things He gavethemjudges until Samuel the prophet.

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

22 After He had removed him, He raised up David to be their king, concerning whom He also testified and said, ‘Ihave foundDavidthe son of Jesse,aman afterMy heart, who will do all My will.’

23 From the descendants of this man, according to promise, God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus,

24 after John had proclaimed before His coming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.

25 And while John was completing his course, he kept saying, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am notHe.But behold, one is coming after me the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’

26 “Brethren, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, to us the message of this salvation has been sent.

27 For those who live in Jerusalem, and their rulers, recognizing neither Him nor the utterances of the prophets which are read every Sabbath, fulfilledtheseby condemningHim.

28 And though they found no ground forputting Him todeath, they asked Pilate that He be executed.

29 When they had carried out all that was written concerning Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a tomb.

30 But God raised Him from the dead;

31 and for many days He appeared to those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem, the very ones who are now His witnesses to the people.

32 And we preach to you the good news of the promise made to the fathers,

33 that God has fulfilled thispromiseto our children in that He raised up Jesus, as it is also written in the second Psalm, ‘You areMySon;today i have begottenYou.’

34 As for the factthat He raised Him up from the dead, no longer to return to decay, He has spoken in this way: ‘Iwill give you the holyandsureblessingsofDavid.’

35 Therefore He also says in anotherPsalm,’You will notallowYourHolyOne toundergo decay.’

36 For David, after he had served the purpose of God in his own generation, fell asleep, and was laid among his fathers and underwent decay;

37 but He whom God raised did not undergo decay.

38 Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,

39 and through Him everyone who believes is freed from all things, from which you could not be freed through the Law of Moses.

40 Therefore take heed, so that the thing spoken of in the Prophets may not come uponyou:

41 ‘Behold,you scoffers,and marvel,andperish;

ForIam accomplishing a work in your days,

Awork which you will never believe,though someone should describe it to you.'”

42 As Paul and Barnabas were going out, the people kept begging that these things might be spoken to them the next Sabbath.

43 Now whenthe meeting ofthe synagogue had broken up, many of the Jews and of the God-fearing proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas, who, speaking to them, were urging them to continue in the grace of God.

Paul Turns to the Gentiles

44 The next Sabbath nearly the whole city assembled to hear the word of the Lord.

45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy andbegancontradicting the things spoken by Paul, and were blaspheming.

46 Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first; since you repudiate it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

47 For so the Lord has commanded us,

‘Ihave placedYou as alight for theGentiles,

ThatYou maybring salvation to the end of the earth.'”

48 When the Gentiles heard this, theybeganrejoicing and glorifying the word of the Lord; and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed.

49 And the word of the Lord was being spread through the whole region.

50 But the Jews incited the devout women of prominence and the leading men of the city, and instigated a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and drove them out of their district.

51 But they shook off the dust of their feetin protestagainst them and went to Iconium.

52 And the disciples were continually filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/ACT/13-cc142a5a20c3cc516c9e5e8c4b85b9a1.mp3?version_id=100—

Acceptance and Opposition

1 In Iconium they entered the synagogue of the Jews together, and spoke in such a manner that a large number of people believed, both of Jews and of Greeks.

2 But the Jews who disbelieved stirred up the minds of the Gentiles and embittered them against the brethren.

3 Therefore they spent a long timetherespeaking boldlywith relianceupon the Lord, who was testifying to the word of His grace, granting that signs and wonders be done by their hands.

4 But the people of the city were divided; and some sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles.

5 And when an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and the Jews with their rulers, to mistreat and to stone them,

6 they became aware of it and fled to the cities of Lycaonia, Lystra and Derbe, and the surrounding region;

7 and there they continued to preach the gospel.

8 At Lystra a man was sitting who had no strength in his feet, lame from his mother’s womb, who had never walked.

9 This man was listening to Paul as he spoke, who, when he had fixed his gaze on him and had seen that he had faith to be made well,

10 said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” And he leaped up andbeganto walk.

11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voice, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.”

12 And theybegancalling Barnabas, Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker.

13 The priest of Zeus, whosetemplewas just outside the city, brought oxen and garlands to the gates, and wanted to offer sacrifice with the crowds.

14 But when the apostles Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their robes and rushed out into the crowd, crying out

15 and saying, “Men, why are you doing these things? We are also men of the same nature as you, and preach the gospel to you that you should turn from thesevain things to a living God,who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them.

16 In the generations gone by He permitted all the nations to go their own ways;

17 and yet He did not leave Himself without witness, in that He did good and gave you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness.”

18 Evensaying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

19 But Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and having won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, supposing him to be dead.

20 But while the disciples stood around him, he got up and entered the city. The next day he went away with Barnabas to Derbe.

21 After they had preached the gospel to that city and had made many disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch,

22 strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, andsaying,”Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God.”

23 When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.

24 They passed through Pisidia and came into Pamphylia.

25 When they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

26 From there they sailed to Antioch, from which they had been commended to the grace of God for the work that they had accomplished.

27 When they had arrived and gathered the church together, theybeganto report all things that God had done with them and how He had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

28 And they spent a long time with the disciples.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/ACT/14-af4cc2a6556efcc79bdca31c1ea3b72f.mp3?version_id=100—

The Council at Jerusalem

1 Some men came down from Judea andbeganteaching the brethren, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.”

2 And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them,the brethrendetermined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue.

3 Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren.

4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.

5 But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.”

6 The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.

7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brethren, you know that in the early days God made a choice among you, that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel and believe.

8 And God, who knows the heart, testified to them giving them the Holy Spirit, just as He also did to us;

9 and He made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith.

10 Now therefore why do you put God to the test by placing upon the neck of the disciples a yoke which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear?

11 But we believe that we are saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are.”

12 All the people kept silent, and they were listening to Barnabas and Paul as they were relating what signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.

James’s Judgment

13 After they had stopped speaking, James answered, saying, “Brethren, listen to me.

14 Simeon has related how God first concerned Himself about taking from among the Gentiles a people for His name.

15 With this the words of the Prophets agree, just as it is written,

16 ‘After these thingsI will return,

AndIwill rebuild thetabernacle ofDavid which has fallen,

AndIwill rebuild its ruins,

AndIwill restore it,

17 So that the rest ofmankind may seek theLord,

And all theGentileswho are called byMy name,’

18 Says theLord,whomakes these things known from long ago.

19 Therefore it is my judgment that we do not trouble those who are turning to God from among the Gentiles,

20 but that we write to them that they abstain from things contaminated by idols and from fornication and from what is strangled and from blood.

21 For Moses from ancient generations has in every city those who preach him, since he is read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

22 Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas-Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,

23 and they sent this letter by them, “The apostles and the brethren who are elders, to the brethren in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia who are from the Gentiles, greetings.

24 “Since we have heard that some of our number to whom we gave no instruction have disturbed you withtheirwords, unsettling your souls,

25 it seemed good to us, having become of one mind, to select men to send to you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,

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

27 “Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who themselves will also report the same things by wordof mouth.

28 “For it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these essentials:

29 that you abstain from things sacrificed to idols and from blood and from things strangled and from fornication; if you keep yourselves free from such things, you will do well. Farewell.”

30 So when they were sent away, they went down to Antioch; and having gathered the congregation together, they delivered the letter.

31 When they had read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement.

32 Judas and Silas, also being prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brethren with a lengthy message.

33 After they had spent timethere,they were sent away from the brethren in peace to those who had sent them out.

34 [But it seemed good to Silas to remain there.]

35 But Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and preaching with many others also, the word of the Lord.

Second Missionary Journey

36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brethren in every city in which we proclaimed the word of the Lord,and seehow they are.”

37 Barnabas wanted to take John, called Mark, along with them also.

38 But Paul kept insisting that they should not take him along who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work.

39 And there occurred such a sharp disagreement that they separated from one another, and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus.

40 But Paul chose Silas and left, being committed by the brethren to the grace of the Lord.

41 And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

—https://d1b84921e69nmq.cloudfront.net/80/32k/ACT/15-70ef7cfd0f6424763181fdc0632c2be1.mp3?version_id=100—