³⁵ “This Moses, whom they rejected, ^(A)saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge?’—this man God sent as both ruler and redeemer ^(B)by the hand of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ^36 (C)This man led them out, performing ^(D)wonders and signs ^(E)in Egypt and ^(F)at the Red Sea and ^(G)in the wilderness for ^(H)forty years. ³⁷ This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you ^(I)a prophet like me from your brothers.’ ³⁸ This is the one ^(J)who was in the congregation in the wilderness with ^(K)the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. ^(L)He received ^(M)living ^(N)oracles to give to us. ³⁹ Our fathers refused to obey him, but thrust him aside, and ^(O)in their hearts they turned to Egypt, ⁴⁰ saying to Aaron, ^(P)‘Make for us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out from the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him.’ ⁴¹ And ^(Q)they made a calf in those days, and offered a sacrifice to the idol and ^(R)were rejoicing in ^(S)the works of their hands. ⁴² But ^(T)God turned away and ^(U)gave them over to worship ^(V)the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:

⁴⁴ “Our fathers had ^(Z)the tent of witness in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses ^(AA)directed him to make it, according to the pattern that he had seen. ⁴⁵ Our fathers in turn ^(AB)brought it in with Joshua when they ^(AC)dispossessed the nations ^(AD)that God drove out before our fathers. So it was ^(AE)until the days of David, ^46 (AF)who found favor in the sight of God and ^(AG)asked to find a dwelling place for ^(AH)the God of Jacob.^{[a] 47} But it was ^(AI)Solomon who built a house for him. ^48 (AJ)Yet the Most High does not dwell ^(AK)in houses made by hands, as the prophet says,

^51 (AN)“You stiff-necked people, ^(AO)uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always resist the Holy Spirit. ^(AP)As your fathers did, so do you. ^52 (AQ)Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who announced beforehand the coming of ^(AR)the Righteous One, ^(AS)whom you have now betrayed and murdered, ⁵³ you who received the law ^(AT)as delivered by angels and ^(AU)did not keep it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴ Now when they heard these things ^(AV)they were enraged, and they ^(AW)ground their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But he, ^(AX)full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw ^(AY)the glory of God, and Jesus standing ^(AZ)at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ And he said, “Behold, I see ^(BA)the heavens opened, and ^(BB)the Son of Man standing ^(BC)at the right hand of God.” ⁵⁷ But they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and rushed together^[b] at him. ⁵⁸ Then ^(BD)they cast him out of the city and ^(BE)stoned him. And ^(BF)the witnesses laid down their garments ^(BG)at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And as they were stoning Stephen, ^(BH)he called out, “Lord Jesus, ^(BI)receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ And ^(BJ)falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, ^(BK)“Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, ^(BL)he fell asleep.

Saul Ravages the Church

8 And ^(BM)Saul ^(BN)approved of his execution.

And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and ^(BO)they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

Ministers of the New Covenant

3 ^(A)Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? Or do we need, ^(B)as some do, ^(C)letters of recommendation to you, or from you? ^2 (D)You yourselves are our letter of recommendation, written on our^[a] hearts, to be known and read by all. ³ And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of ^(E)the living God, not on ^(F)tablets of stone but on ^(G)tablets of ^(H)human hearts.^[b]

^4 (I)Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. ^5 (J)Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but ^(K)our sufficiency is from God, ⁶ who has made us sufficient to be ^(L)ministers of ^(M)a new covenant, not of ^(N)the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but ^(O)the Spirit gives life.

⁷ Now if ^(P)the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory ^(Q)that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face because of its glory, which was being brought to an end, ⁸ will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? ⁹ For if there was glory in ^(R)the ministry of condemnation, ^(S)the ministry of righteousness must far exceed it in glory. ¹⁰ Indeed, in this case, what once had glory has come to have no glory at all, because of the glory that surpasses it. ¹¹ For if what was being brought to an end came with glory, much more will what is permanent have glory.

¹² Since we have such a hope, ^(T)we are very bold, ¹³ not like Moses, ^(U)who would put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not gaze at the outcome of what was being brought to an end. ¹⁴ But ^(V)their minds were ^(W)hardened. For to this day, ^(X)when they read ^(Y)the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away. ¹⁵ Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their hearts. ¹⁶ But when ^(Z)one^[c] turns to the Lord, ^(AA)the veil is removed. ¹⁷ Now the Lord^[d] is the Spirit, and where ^(AB)the Spirit of the Lord is, there is ^(AC)freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, with unveiled face, ^(AD)beholding ^(AE)the glory of the Lord,^{[e] (AF)}are being transformed into the same image ^(AG)from one degree of glory to another.^[f] For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.