¹⁴ For you, brethren, became imitators ^(A)of the churches of God which are in Judea in Christ Jesus. For ^(B)you also suffered the same things from your own countrymen, just as they did from the Judeans, ^15 (C)who killed both the Lord Jesus and ^(D)their own prophets, and have persecuted us; and they do not please God ^(E)and are ^[a]contrary to all men,

Peter’s Sermon^(A)

¹⁴ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, raised his voice and said to them, “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and heed my words.

²² “Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you ^(A)by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know—

³⁶ “Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”

³⁷ Now when they heard this, ^(A)they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Men and brethren, what shall we do?”

³⁸ Then Peter said to them, ^(B)“Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the ^[a]remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ³⁹ For the promise is to you and ^(C)to your children, and ^(D)to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.”

A Vital Church Grows

⁴⁰ And with many other words he testified and exhorted them, saying, “Be saved from this ^[b]perverse generation.”

^9 (A)And all the people saw him walking and praising God. ¹⁰ Then they knew that it was he who ^(B)sat begging alms at the Beautiful Gate of the temple; and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.

Preaching in Solomon’s Portico

¹¹ Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch ^(C)which is called Solomon’s, greatly amazed. ¹² So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: “Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? ^13 (D)The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, ^(E)glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you ^(F)delivered up and ^(G)denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. ¹⁴ But you denied ^(H)the Holy One ^(I)and the Just, and ^(J)asked for a murderer to be granted to you, ¹⁵ and killed the ^[a]Prince of life, ^(K)whom God raised from the dead, ^(L)of which we are witnesses. ^16 (M)And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.

¹⁷ “Yet now, brethren, I know that ^(N)you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. ¹⁸ But ^(O)those things which God foretold ^(P)by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled. ^19 (Q)Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, ²⁰ and that He may send ^[b]Jesus Christ, who was ^[c]preached to you before, ^21 (R)whom heaven must receive until the times of ^(S)restoration of all things, ^(T)which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since ^[d]the world began. ²² For Moses truly said to the fathers, ^(U)‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a Prophet like me from your brethren. Him you shall hear in all things, whatever He says to you. ²³ And it shall be that every soul who will not hear that Prophet shall be utterly destroyed from among the people.’ ²⁴ Yes, and ^(V)all the prophets, from Samuel and those who follow, as many as have spoken, have also ^[e]foretold these days. ^25 (W)You are sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying to Abraham, ^(X)‘And in your seed all the families of the earth shall be blessed.’ ²⁶ To you ^(Y)first, God, having raised up His Servant Jesus, sent Him to bless you, ^(Z)in turning away every one of you from your iniquities.”