Doing Good for the Sake of the Gospel

2 You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.^{(A) 2} Teach the older men^(B) to be temperate,^(C) worthy of respect, self-controlled,^(D) and sound in faith,^(E) in love and in endurance.

³ Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers^(F) or addicted to much wine,^(G) but to teach what is good. ⁴ Then they can urge the younger women^(H) to love their husbands and children, ⁵ to be self-controlled^(I) and pure, to be busy at home,^(J) to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands,^(K) so that no one will malign the word of God.^(L)

Prayer^(A)

⁵ “And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing^(B) in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ⁶ But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father,^(C) who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

¹¹ “When you are brought before synagogues, rulers and authorities, do not worry about how you will defend yourselves or what you will say,^{(A) 12} for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that time what you should say.”^(B)

¹⁵ For I will give you^(A) words and wisdom that none of your adversaries will be able to resist or contradict.

²⁹ Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.^{(A) 30} Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders^(B) through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”^(C)

³¹ After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.^(D) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit^(E) and spoke the word of God^(F) boldly.^(G)

⁹ Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene^(A) and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia^(B) and Asia^(C)—who began to argue with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.^(D)

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God,^(A) who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.^(B)