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Acts 1-7
The Message
Acts 1-7
The Message
To the Ends of the World
1 1-5 Dear Theophilus, in the first volume of this book I wrote on everything that Jesus began to do and teach until the day he said good-bye to the apostles, the ones he had chosen through the Holy Spirit, and was taken up to heaven. After his death, he presented himself alive to them in many different settings over a period of forty days. In face-to-face meetings, he talked to them about things concerning the kingdom of God. As they met and ate meals together, he told them that they were on no account to leave Jerusalem but “must wait for what the Father promised: the promise you heard from me. John baptized in water; you will be baptized in the Holy Spirit. And soon.”
6 When they were together for the last time they asked, “Master, are you going to restore the kingdom to Israel now? Is this the time?”
7-8 He told them, “You don’t get to know the time. Timing is the Father’s business. What you’ll get is the Holy Spirit. And when the Holy Spirit comes on you, you will be able to be my witnesses in Jerusalem, all over Judea and Samaria, even to the ends of the world.”
9-11 These were his last words. As they watched, he was taken up and disappeared in a cloud. They stood there, staring into the empty sky. Suddenly two men appeared—in white robes! They said, “You Galileans!—why do you just stand here looking up at an empty sky? This very Jesus who was taken up from among you to heaven will come as certainly—and mysteriously—as he left.”
Returning to Jerusalem
12-13 So they left the mountain called Olives and returned to Jerusalem. It was a little over half a mile. They went to the upper room they had been using as a meeting place:
Peter,
John,
James,
Andrew,
Philip,
Thomas,
Bartholomew,
Matthew,
James, son of Alphaeus,
Simon the Zealot,
Judas, son of James.
14 They agreed they were in this for good, completely together in prayer, the women included. Also Jesus’ mother, Mary, and his brothers.
Replacing Judas
15-17 During this time, Peter stood up in the company—there were about 120 of them in the room at the time—and said, “Friends, long ago the Holy Spirit spoke through David regarding Judas, who became the guide to those who arrested Jesus. That Scripture had to be fulfilled, and now has been. Judas was one of us and had his assigned place in this ministry.
18-20 “As you know, he took the evil bribe money and bought a small farm. There he came to a bad end, rupturing his belly and spilling his guts. Everybody in Jerusalem knows this by now; they call the place Murder Meadow. It’s exactly what we find written in the Psalms:
Let his farm become haunted
So no one can ever live there.
“And also what was written later:
Let someone else take over his post.
21-22 “Judas must now be replaced. The replacement must come from the company of men who stayed together with us from the time Jesus was baptized by John up to the day of his ascension, designated along with us as a witness to his resurrection.”
23-26 They nominated two: Joseph Barsabbas, nicknamed Justus, and Matthias. Then they prayed, “You, O God, know every one of us inside and out. Make plain which of these two men you choose to take the place in this ministry and leadership that Judas threw away in order to go his own way.” They then drew straws. Matthias won and was counted in with the eleven apostles.
A Sound Like a Strong Wind
2 1-4 When the Feast of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Without warning there was a sound like a strong wind, gale force—no one could tell where it came from. It filled the whole building. Then, like a wildfire, the Holy Spirit spread through their ranks, and they started speaking in a number of different languages as the Spirit prompted them.
5-11 There were many Jews staying in Jerusalem just then, devout pilgrims from all over the world. When they heard the sound, they came on the run. Then when they heard, one after another, their own mother tongues being spoken, they were blown away. They couldn’t for the life of them figure out what was going on, and kept saying, “Aren’t these all Galileans? How come we’re hearing them talk in our various mother tongues?
Parthians, Medes, and Elamites;
Visitors from Mesopotamia, Judea, and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the parts of Libya belonging to Cyrene;
Immigrants from Rome, both Jews and proselytes;
Even Cretans and Arabs!
“They’re speaking our languages, describing God’s mighty works!”
12 Their heads were spinning; they couldn’t make head or tail of any of it. They talked back and forth, confused: “What’s going on here?”
13 Others joked, “They’re drunk on cheap wine.”
Peter Speaks Up
14-21 That’s when Peter stood up and, backed by the other eleven, spoke out with bold urgency: “Fellow Jews, all of you who are visiting Jerusalem, listen carefully and get this story straight. These people aren’t drunk as some of you suspect. They haven’t had time to get drunk—it’s only nine o’clock in the morning. This is what the prophet Joel announced would happen:
“In the Last Days,” God says,
“I will pour out my Spirit
on every kind of people:
Your sons will prophesy,
also your daughters;
Your young men will see visions,
your old men dream dreams.
When the time comes,
I’ll pour out my Spirit
On those who serve me, men and women both,
and they’ll prophesy.
I’ll set wonders in the sky above
and signs on the earth below,
Blood and fire and billowing smoke,
the sun turning black and the moon blood-red,
Before the Day of the Lord arrives,
the Day tremendous and marvelous;
And whoever calls out for help
to me, God, will be saved.”
22-28 “Fellow Israelites, listen carefully to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man thoroughly accredited by God to you—the miracles and wonders and signs that God did through him are common knowledge—this Jesus, following the deliberate and well-thought-out plan of God, was betrayed by men who took the law into their own hands, and was handed over to you. And you pinned him to a cross and killed him. But God untied the death ropes and raised him up. Death was no match for him. David said it all:
I saw God before me for all time.
Nothing can shake me; he’s right by my side.
I’m glad from the inside out, ecstatic;
I’ve pitched my tent in the land of hope.
I know you’ll never dump me in Hades;
I’ll never even smell the stench of death.
You’ve got my feet on the life-path,
with your face shining sun-joy all around.
29-36 “Dear friends, let me be completely frank with you. Our ancestor David is dead and buried—his tomb is in plain sight today. But being also a prophet and knowing that God had solemnly sworn that a descendant of his would rule his kingdom, seeing far ahead, he talked of the resurrection of the Messiah—‘no trip to Hades, no stench of death.’ This Jesus, God raised up. And every one of us here is a witness to it. Then, raised to the heights at the right hand of God and receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he poured out the Spirit he had just received. That is what you see and hear. For David himself did not ascend to heaven, but he did say,
God said to my Master, “Sit at my right hand
Until I make your enemies a stool for resting your feet.”
“All Israel, then, know this: There’s no longer room for doubt—God made him Master and Messiah, this Jesus whom you killed on a cross.”
37 Cut to the quick, those who were there listening asked Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers! Brothers! So now what do we do?”
38-39 Peter said, “Change your life. Turn to God and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, so your sins are forgiven. Receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is targeted to you and your children, but also to all who are far away—whomever, in fact, our Master God invites.”
40 He went on in this vein for a long time, urging them over and over, “Get out while you can; get out of this sick and stupid culture!”
41-42 That day about three thousand took him at his word, were baptized and were signed up. They committed themselves to the teaching of the apostles, the life together, the common meal, and the prayers.
* * *
43-45 Everyone around was in awe—all those wonders and signs done through the apostles! And all the believers lived in a wonderful harmony, holding everything in common. They sold whatever they owned and pooled their resources so that each person’s need was met.
46-47 They followed a daily discipline of worship in the Temple followed by meals at home, every meal a celebration, exuberant and joyful, as they praised God. People in general liked what they saw. Every day their number grew as God added those who were saved.
3 1-5 One day at three o’clock in the afternoon, Peter and John were on their way into the Temple for prayer meeting. At the same time there was a man crippled from birth being carried up. Every day he was set down at the Temple gate, the one named Beautiful, to beg from those going into the Temple. When he saw Peter and John about to enter the Temple, he asked for a handout. Peter, with John at his side, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Look here.” He looked up, expecting to get something from them.
6-8 Peter said, “I don’t have a nickel to my name, but what I do have, I give you: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk!” He grabbed him by the right hand and pulled him up. In an instant his feet and ankles became firm. He jumped to his feet and walked.
8-10 The man went into the Temple with them, walking back and forth, dancing and praising God. Everybody there saw him walking around and praising God. They recognized him as the one who sat begging at the Temple’s Gate Beautiful and rubbed their eyes, astonished, scarcely believing what they were seeing.
11 The man threw his arms around Peter and John, ecstatic. All the people ran up to where they were at Solomon’s Porch to see it for themselves.
Turn to Face God
12-16 When Peter saw he had a congregation, he addressed the people:
“Oh, Israelites, why does this take you by such complete surprise, and why stare at us as if our power or piety made him walk? The God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, the God of our ancestors, has glorified his Son Jesus. The very One that Pilate called innocent, you repudiated. You repudiated the Holy One, the Just One, and asked for a murderer in his place. You no sooner killed the Author of Life than God raised him from the dead—and we’re the witnesses. Faith in Jesus’ name put this man, whose condition you know so well, on his feet—yes, faith and nothing but faith put this man healed and whole right before your eyes.
17-18 “And now, friends, I know you had no idea what you were doing when you killed Jesus, and neither did your leaders. But God, who through the preaching of all the prophets had said all along that his Messiah would be killed, knew exactly what you were doing and used it to fulfill his plans.
19-23 “Now it’s time to change your ways! Turn to face God so he can wipe away your sins, pour out showers of blessing to refresh you, and send you the Messiah he prepared for you, namely, Jesus. For the time being he must remain out of sight in heaven until everything is restored to order again just the way God, through the preaching of his holy prophets of old, said it would be. Moses, for instance, said, ‘Your God will raise up for you a prophet just like me from your family. Listen to every word he speaks to you. Every last living soul who refuses to listen to that prophet will be wiped out from the people.’
24-26 “All the prophets from Samuel on down said the same thing, said most emphatically that these days would come. These prophets, along with the covenant God made with your ancestors, are your family tree. God’s covenant-word to Abraham provides the text: ‘By your offspring all the families of the earth will be blessed.’ But you are first in line: God, having raised up his Son, sent him to bless you as you turn, one by one, from your evil ways.”
Nothing to Hide
4 1-4 While Peter and John were addressing the people, the priests, the chief of the Temple police, and some Sadducees came up, indignant that these upstart apostles were instructing the people and proclaiming that the resurrection from the dead had taken place in Jesus. They arrested them and threw them in jail until morning, for by now it was late in the evening. But many of those who listened had already believed the Message—in round numbers about five thousand!
5-7 The next day a meeting was called in Jerusalem. The rulers, religious leaders, religion scholars, Annas the Chief Priest, Caiaphas, John, Alexander—everybody who was anybody was there. They stood Peter and John in the middle of the room and grilled them: “Who put you in charge here? What business do you have doing this?”
8-12 With that, Peter, full of the Holy Spirit, let loose: “Rulers and leaders of the people, if we have been brought to trial today for helping a sick man, put under investigation regarding this healing, I’ll be completely frank with you—we have nothing to hide. By the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, the One you killed on a cross, the One God raised from the dead, by means of his name this man stands before you healthy and whole. Jesus is ‘the stone you masons threw out, which is now the cornerstone.’ Salvation comes no other way; no other name has been or will be given to us by which we can be saved, only this one.”
13-14 They couldn’t take their eyes off them—Peter and John standing there so confident, so sure of themselves! Their fascination deepened when they realized these two were laymen with no training in Scripture or formal education. They recognized them as companions of Jesus, but with the man right before them, seeing him standing there so upright—so healed!—what could they say against that?
15-17 They sent them out of the room so they could work out a plan. They talked it over: “What can we do with these men? By now it’s known all over town that a miracle has occurred, and that they are behind it. There is no way we can refute that. But so that it doesn’t go any further, let’s silence them with threats so they won’t dare to use Jesus’ name ever again with anyone.”
18-20 They called them back and warned them that they were on no account ever again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John spoke right back, “Whether it’s right in God’s eyes to listen to you rather than to God, you decide. As for us, there’s no question—we can’t keep quiet about what we’ve seen and heard.”
21-22 The religious leaders renewed their threats, but then released them. They couldn’t come up with a charge that would stick, that would keep them in jail. The people wouldn’t have stood for it—they were all praising God over what had happened. The man who had been miraculously healed was over forty years old.
One Heart, One Mind
23-26 As soon as Peter and John were let go, they went to their friends and told them what the high priests and religious leaders had said. Hearing the report, they lifted their voices in a wonderful harmony in prayer: “Strong God, you made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them. By the Holy Spirit you spoke through the mouth of your servant and our father, David:
Why the big noise, nations?
Why the mean plots, peoples?
Earth’s leaders push for position,
Potentates meet for summit talks,
The God-deniers, the Messiah-defiers!
27-28 “For in fact they did meet—Herod and Pontius Pilate with nations and peoples, even Israel itself!—met in this very city to plot against your holy Son Jesus, the One you made Messiah, to carry out the plans you long ago set in motion.
29-30 “And now they’re at it again! Take care of their threats and give your servants fearless confidence in preaching your Message, as you stretch out your hand to us in healings and miracles and wonders done in the name of your holy servant Jesus.”
31 While they were praying, the place where they were meeting trembled and shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak God’s Word with fearless confidence.
32-33 The whole congregation of believers was united as one—one heart, one mind! They didn’t even claim ownership of their own possessions. No one said, “That’s mine; you can’t have it.” They shared everything. The apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Master Jesus, and grace was on all of them.
34-35 And so it turned out that not a person among them was needy. Those who owned fields or houses sold them and brought the price of the sale to the apostles and made an offering of it. The apostles then distributed it according to each person’s need.
36-37 Joseph, called by the apostles “Barnabas” (which means “Son of Comfort”), a Levite born in Cyprus, sold a field that he owned, brought the money, and made an offering of it to the apostles.
Ananias and Sapphira
5 1-2 But a man named Ananias—his wife, Sapphira, conniving in this with him—sold a piece of land, secretly kept part of the price for himself, and then brought the rest to the apostles and made an offering of it.
3-4 Peter said, “Ananias, how did Satan get you to lie to the Holy Spirit and secretly keep back part of the price of the field? Before you sold it, it was all yours, and after you sold it, the money was yours to do with as you wished. So what got into you to pull a trick like this? You didn’t lie to men but to God.”
5-6 Ananias, when he heard those words, fell down dead. That put the fear of God into everyone who heard of it. The younger men went right to work and wrapped him up, then carried him out and buried him.
7-8 Not more than three hours later, his wife, knowing nothing of what had happened, came in. Peter said, “Tell me, were you given this price for your field?”
“Yes,” she said, “that price.”
9-10 Peter responded, “What’s going on here that you connived to conspire against the Spirit of the Master? The men who buried your husband are at the door, and you’re next.” No sooner were the words out of his mouth than she also fell down, dead. When the young men returned they found her body. They carried her out and buried her beside her husband.
11 By this time the whole church and, in fact, everyone who heard of these things had a healthy respect for God. They knew God was not to be trifled with.
They All Met Regularly
12-16 Through the work of the apostles, many God-signs were set up among the people, many wonderful things done. They all met regularly and in remarkable harmony on the Temple porch named after Solomon. But even though people admired them a lot, outsiders were wary about joining them. On the other hand, those who put their trust in the Master were added right and left, men and women both. They even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on stretchers and bedrolls, hoping they would be touched by Peter’s shadow when he walked by. They came from the villages surrounding Jerusalem, throngs of them, bringing the sick and bedeviled. And they all were healed.
To Obey God Rather than Men
17-20 Provoked mightily by all this, the Chief Priest and those on his side, mainly the sect of Sadducees, went into action, arrested the apostles and put them in the town jail. But during the night an angel of God opened the jailhouse door and led them out. He said, “Go to the Temple and take your stand. Tell the people everything there is to say about this Life.”
Promptly obedient, they entered the Temple at daybreak and went on with their teaching.
21-23 Meanwhile, the Chief Priest and his cronies convened the High Council, Israel’s senate, and sent to the jail to have the prisoners brought in. When the police got there, they couldn’t find them anywhere in the jail. They went back and reported, “We found the jail locked tight as a drum and the guards posted at the doors, but when we went inside we didn’t find a soul.”
24 The chief of the Temple police and the high priests were puzzled. “What’s going on here anyway?”
25-26 Just then someone showed up and said, “Did you know that the men you put in jail are back in the Temple teaching the people?” The chief and his police went and got them, but they handled them gently, fearful that the people would riot and turn on them.
27-28 Bringing them back, they stood them before the High Council. The Chief Priest said, “Didn’t we give you strict orders not to teach in Jesus’ name? And here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are trying your best to blame us for the death of this man.”
29-32 Peter and the apostles answered, “It’s necessary to obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus, the One you killed by hanging him on a cross. God set him on high at his side, Prince and Savior, to give Israel the gift of a changed life and sins forgiven. And we are witnesses to these things. The Holy Spirit, whom God gives to those who obey him, corroborates every detail.”
33-37 When they heard that, they were furious and wanted to kill them on the spot. But one of the council members stood up, a Pharisee by the name of Gamaliel, a teacher of God’s Law who was honored by everyone. He ordered the men taken out of the room for a short time, then said, “Fellow Israelites, be careful what you do to these men. Not long ago Theudas made something of a splash, claiming to be somebody, and got about four hundred men to join him. He was killed, his followers dispersed, and nothing came of it. A little later, at the time of the census, Judas the Galilean appeared and acquired a following. He also fizzled out and the people following him were scattered to the four winds.
38-39 “So I am telling you: Hands off these men! Let them alone. If this program or this work is merely human, it will fall apart, but if it is of God, there is nothing you can do about it—and you better not be found fighting against God!”
40-42 That convinced them. They called the apostles back in. After giving them a thorough whipping, they warned them not to speak in Jesus’ name and sent them off. The apostles went out of the High Council overjoyed because they had been given the honor of being dishonored on account of the Name. Every day they were in the Temple and homes, teaching and preaching Christ Jesus, not letting up for a minute.
The Word of God Prospered
6 1-4 During this time, as the disciples were increasing in numbers by leaps and bounds, hard feelings developed among the Greek-speaking believers—“Hellenists”—toward the Hebrew-speaking believers because their widows were being discriminated against in the daily food lines. So the Twelve called a meeting of the disciples. They said, “It wouldn’t be right for us to abandon our responsibilities for preaching and teaching the Word of God to help with the care of the poor. So, friends, choose seven men from among you whom everyone trusts, men full of the Holy Spirit and good sense, and we’ll assign them this task. Meanwhile, we’ll stick to our assigned tasks of prayer and speaking God’s Word.”
5-6 The congregation thought this was a great idea. They went ahead and chose—
Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit,
Philip,
Procorus,
Nicanor,
Timon,
Parmenas,
Nicolas, a convert from Antioch.
Then they presented them to the apostles. Praying, the apostles laid on hands and commissioned them for their task.
7 The Word of God prospered. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased dramatically. Not least, a great many priests submitted themselves to the faith.
* * *
8-10 Stephen, brimming with God’s grace and energy, was doing wonderful things among the people, unmistakable signs that God was among them. But then some men from the meeting place whose membership was made up of freed slaves, Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and some others from Cilicia and Asia, went up against him trying to argue him down. But they were no match for his wisdom and spirit when he spoke.
11 So in secret they bribed men to lie: “We heard him cursing Moses and God.”
12-14 That stirred up the people, the religious leaders, and religion scholars. They grabbed Stephen and took him before the High Council. They put forward their bribed witnesses to testify: “This man talks nonstop against this Holy Place and God’s Law. We even heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth would tear this place down and throw out all the customs Moses gave us.”
15 As all those who sat on the High Council looked at Stephen, they found they couldn’t take their eyes off him—his face was like the face of an angel!
Stephen, Full of the Holy Spirit
7 Then the Chief Priest said, “What do you have to say for yourself?”
2-3 Stephen replied, “Friends, fathers, and brothers, the God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was still in Mesopotamia, before the move to Haran, and told him, ‘Leave your country and family and go to the land I’ll show you.’
4-7 “So he left the country of the Chaldees and moved to Haran. After the death of his father, he immigrated to this country where you now live, but God gave him nothing, not so much as a foothold. He did promise to give the country to him and his son later on, even though Abraham had no son at the time. God let him know that his offspring would move to an alien country where they would be enslaved and brutalized for four hundred years. ‘But,’ God said, ‘I will step in and take care of those slaveholders and bring my people out so they can worship me in this place.’
8 “Then he made a covenant with him and signed it in Abraham’s flesh by circumcision. When Abraham had his son Isaac, within eight days he reproduced the sign of circumcision in him. Isaac became father of Jacob, and Jacob father of twelve ‘fathers,’ each faithfully passing on the covenant sign.
9-10 “But then those ‘fathers,’ burning up with jealousy, sent Joseph off to Egypt as a slave. God was right there with him, though—he not only rescued him from all his troubles but brought him to the attention of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. He was so impressed with Joseph that he put him in charge of the whole country, including his own personal affairs.
11-15 “Later a famine descended on that entire region, stretching from Egypt to Canaan, bringing terrific hardship. Our hungry fathers looked high and low for food, but the cupboard was bare. Jacob heard there was food in Egypt and sent our fathers to scout it out. Having confirmed the report, they went back to Egypt a second time to get food. On that visit, Joseph revealed his true identity to his brothers and introduced the Jacob family to Pharaoh. Then Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, and everyone else in the family, seventy-five in all. That’s how the Jacob family got to Egypt.
15-16 “Jacob died, and our fathers after him. They were taken to Shechem and buried in the tomb for which Abraham paid a good price to the sons of Hamor.
17-19 “When the four hundred years were nearly up, the time God promised Abraham for deliverance, the population of our people in Egypt had become very large. And there was now a king over Egypt who had never heard of Joseph. He exploited our race mercilessly. He went so far as forcing us to abandon our newborn infants, exposing them to the elements to die a cruel death.
20-22 “In just such a time Moses was born, a most beautiful baby. He was hidden at home for three months. When he could be hidden no longer, he was put outside—and immediately rescued by Pharaoh’s daughter, who mothered him as her own son. Moses was educated in the best schools in Egypt. He was equally impressive as a thinker and an athlete.
23-26 “When he was forty years old, he wondered how everything was going with his Hebrew kin and went out to look things over. He saw an Egyptian abusing one of them and stepped in, avenging his underdog brother by knocking the Egyptian flat. He thought his brothers would be glad that he was on their side, and even see him as an instrument of God to deliver them. But they didn’t see it that way. The next day two of them were fighting and he tried to break it up, told them to shake hands and get along with each other: ‘Friends, you are brothers, why are you beating up on each other?’
27-29 “The one who had started the fight said, ‘Who put you in charge of us? Are you going to kill me like you killed that Egyptian yesterday?’ When Moses heard that, realizing that the word was out, he ran for his life and lived in exile over in Midian. During the years of exile, two sons were born to him.
30-32 “Forty years later, in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, an angel appeared to him in the guise of flames of a burning bush. Moses, not believing his eyes, went up to take a closer look. He heard God’s voice: ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Frightened nearly out of his skin, Moses shut his eyes and turned away.
33-34 “God said, ‘Kneel and pray. You are in a holy place, on holy ground. I’ve seen the agony of my people in Egypt. I’ve heard their groans. I’ve come to help them. So get yourself ready; I’m sending you back to Egypt.’
35-39 “This is the same Moses whom they earlier rejected, saying, ‘Who put you in charge of us?’ This is the Moses that God, using the angel flaming in the burning bush, sent back as ruler and redeemer. He led them out of their slavery. He did wonderful things, setting up God-signs all through Egypt, down at the Red Sea, and out in the wilderness for forty years. This is the Moses who said to his congregation, ‘God will raise up a prophet just like me from your descendants.’ This is the Moses who stood between the angel speaking at Sinai and your fathers assembled in the wilderness and took the life-giving words given to him and handed them over to us, words our fathers would have nothing to do with.
39-41 “They craved the old Egyptian ways, whining to Aaron, ‘Make us gods we can see and follow. This Moses who got us out here miles from nowhere—who knows what’s happened to him!’ That was the time when they made a calf-idol, brought sacrifices to it, and congratulated each other on the wonderful religious program they had put together.
42-43 “God wasn’t at all pleased; but he let them do it their way, worship every new god that came down the pike—and live with the consequences, consequences described by the prophet Amos:
Did you bring me offerings of animals and grains
those forty wilderness years, O Israel?
Hardly. You were too busy building shrines
to war gods, to sex goddesses,
Worshiping them with all your might.
That’s why I put you in exile in Babylon.
44-47 “And all this time our ancestors had a tent shrine for true worship, made to the exact specifications God provided Moses. They had it with them as they followed Joshua, when God cleared the land of pagans, and still had it right down to the time of David. David asked God for a permanent place for worship. But Solomon built it.
48-50 “Yet that doesn’t mean that Most High God lives in a building made by carpenters and masons. The prophet Isaiah put it well when he wrote,
“Heaven is my throne room;
I rest my feet on earth.
So what kind of house
will you build me?” says God.
“Where I can get away and relax?
It’s already built, and I built it.”
51-53 “And you continue, so bullheaded! Calluses on your hearts, flaps on your ears! Deliberately ignoring the Holy Spirit, you’re just like your ancestors. Was there ever a prophet who didn’t get the same treatment? Your ancestors killed anyone who dared talk about the coming of the Just One. And you’ve kept up the family tradition—traitors and murderers, all of you. You had God’s Law handed to you by angels—gift-wrapped!—and you squandered it!”
54-56 At that point they went wild, a rioting mob of catcalls and whistles and invective. But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, hardly noticed—he only had eyes for God, whom he saw in all his glory with Jesus standing at his side. He said, “Oh! I see heaven wide open and the Son of Man standing at God’s side!”
57-58 Yelling and hissing, the mob drowned him out. Now in full stampede, they dragged him out of town and pelted him with rocks. The ringleaders took off their coats and asked a young man named Saul to watch them.
59-60 As the rocks rained down, Stephen prayed, “Master Jesus, take my life.” Then he knelt down, praying loud enough for everyone to hear, “Master, don’t blame them for this sin”—his last words. Then he died.
Saul was right there, congratulating the killers.
Acts 1-7
New International Version
Acts 1-7
New International Version
Jesus Taken Up Into Heaven
1 In my former book,(A) Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach(B) 2 until the day he was taken up to heaven,(C) after giving instructions(D) through the Holy Spirit to the apostles(E) he had chosen.(F) 3 After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them(G) over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.(H) 4 On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait(I) for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.(J) 5 For John baptized with[a] water,(K) but in a few days you will be baptized with[b] the Holy Spirit.”(L)
6 Then they gathered around him and asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore(M) the kingdom to Israel?”
7 He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority.(N) 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you;(O) and you will be my witnesses(P) in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria,(Q) and to the ends of the earth.”(R)
9 After he said this, he was taken up(S) before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
10 They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white(T) stood beside them. 11 “Men of Galilee,”(U) they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back(V) in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Matthias Chosen to Replace Judas
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem(W) from the hill called the Mount of Olives,(X) a Sabbath day’s walk[c] from the city. 13 When they arrived, they went upstairs to the room(Y) where they were staying. Those present were Peter, John, James and Andrew; Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew; James son of Alphaeus and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James.(Z) 14 They all joined together constantly in prayer,(AA) along with the women(AB) and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.(AC)
15 In those days Peter stood up among the believers (a group numbering about a hundred and twenty) 16 and said, “Brothers and sisters,[d](AD) the Scripture had to be fulfilled(AE) in which the Holy Spirit spoke long ago through David concerning Judas,(AF) who served as guide for those who arrested Jesus. 17 He was one of our number(AG) and shared in our ministry.”(AH)
18 (With the payment(AI) he received for his wickedness, Judas bought a field;(AJ) there he fell headlong, his body burst open and all his intestines spilled out. 19 Everyone in Jerusalem heard about this, so they called that field in their language(AK) Akeldama, that is, Field of Blood.)
20 “For,” said Peter, “it is written in the Book of Psalms:
and,
21 Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus was living among us, 22 beginning from John’s baptism(AN) to the time when Jesus was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness(AO) with us of his resurrection.”
23 So they nominated two men: Joseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. 24 Then they prayed,(AP) “Lord, you know everyone’s heart.(AQ) Show us(AR) which of these two you have chosen 25 to take over this apostolic ministry, which Judas left to go where he belongs.” 26 Then they cast lots, and the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles.(AS)
The Holy Spirit Comes at Pentecost
2 When the day of Pentecost(AT) came, they were all together(AU) in one place. 2 Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting.(AV) 3 They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. 4 All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit(AW) and began to speak in other tongues[g](AX) as the Spirit enabled them.
5 Now there were staying in Jerusalem God-fearing(AY) Jews from every nation under heaven. 6 When they heard this sound, a crowd came together in bewilderment, because each one heard their own language being spoken. 7 Utterly amazed,(AZ) they asked: “Aren’t all these who are speaking Galileans?(BA) 8 Then how is it that each of us hears them in our native language? 9 Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,(BB) Pontus(BC) and Asia,[h](BD) 10 Phrygia(BE) and Pamphylia,(BF) Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene;(BG) visitors from Rome 11 (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” 12 Amazed and perplexed, they asked one another, “What does this mean?”
13 Some, however, made fun of them and said, “They have had too much wine.”(BH)
Peter Addresses the Crowd
14 Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice and addressed the crowd: “Fellow Jews and all of you who live in Jerusalem, let me explain this to you; listen carefully to what I say. 15 These people are not drunk, as you suppose. It’s only nine in the morning!(BI) 16 No, this is what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 “‘In the last days, God says,
I will pour out my Spirit on all people.(BJ)
Your sons and daughters will prophesy,(BK)
your young men will see visions,
your old men will dream dreams.
18 Even on my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they will prophesy.(BL)
19 I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs on the earth below,(BM)
blood and fire and billows of smoke.
20 The sun will be turned to darkness
and the moon to blood(BN)
before the coming of the great and glorious day of the Lord.
21 And everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord(BO) will be saved.’[i](BP)
22 “Fellow Israelites, listen to this: Jesus of Nazareth(BQ) was a man accredited by God to you by miracles, wonders and signs,(BR) which God did among you through him,(BS) as you yourselves know. 23 This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge;(BT) and you, with the help of wicked men,[j] put him to death by nailing him to the cross.(BU) 24 But God raised him from the dead,(BV) freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.(BW) 25 David said about him:
“‘I saw the Lord always before me.
Because he is at my right hand,
I will not be shaken.
26 Therefore my heart is glad and my tongue rejoices;
my body also will rest in hope,
27 because you will not abandon me to the realm of the dead,
you will not let your holy one see decay.(BX)
28 You have made known to me the paths of life;
you will fill me with joy in your presence.’[k](BY)
29 “Fellow Israelites,(BZ) I can tell you confidently that the patriarch(CA) David died and was buried,(CB) and his tomb is here(CC) to this day. 30 But he was a prophet and knew that God had promised him on oath that he would place one of his descendants on his throne.(CD) 31 Seeing what was to come, he spoke of the resurrection of the Messiah, that he was not abandoned to the realm of the dead, nor did his body see decay.(CE) 32 God has raised this Jesus to life,(CF) and we are all witnesses(CG) of it. 33 Exalted(CH) to the right hand of God,(CI) he has received from the Father(CJ) the promised Holy Spirit(CK) and has poured out(CL) what you now see and hear. 34 For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said,
“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
“Sit at my right hand
35 until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet.”’[l](CM)
36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord(CN) and Messiah.”(CO)
37 When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?”(CP)
38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized,(CQ) every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.(CR) And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.(CS) 39 The promise is for you and your children(CT) and for all who are far off(CU)—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”
40 With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”(CV) 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number(CW) that day.
The Fellowship of the Believers
42 They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching(CX) and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread(CY) and to prayer.(CZ) 43 Everyone was filled with awe at the many wonders and signs performed by the apostles.(DA) 44 All the believers were together and had everything in common.(DB) 45 They sold property and possessions to give to anyone who had need.(DC) 46 Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts.(DD) They broke bread(DE) in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, 47 praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people.(DF) And the Lord added to their number(DG) daily those who were being saved.
Peter Heals a Lame Beggar
3 One day Peter and John(DH) were going up to the temple(DI) at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon.(DJ) 2 Now a man who was lame from birth(DK) was being carried to the temple gate(DL) called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg(DM) from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. 4 Peter looked straight at him, as did John. Then Peter said, “Look at us!” 5 So the man gave them his attention, expecting to get something from them.
6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,(DN) walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping,(DO) and praising God. 9 When all the people(DP) saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful,(DQ) and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him.
Peter Speaks to the Onlookers
11 While the man held on to Peter and John,(DR) all the people were astonished and came running to them in the place called Solomon’s Colonnade.(DS) 12 When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Fellow Israelites, why does this surprise you? Why do you stare at us as if by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk? 13 The God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob,(DT) the God of our fathers,(DU) has glorified his servant Jesus. You handed him over(DV) to be killed, and you disowned him before Pilate,(DW) though he had decided to let him go.(DX) 14 You disowned the Holy(DY) and Righteous One(DZ) and asked that a murderer be released to you.(EA) 15 You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead.(EB) We are witnesses(EC) of this. 16 By faith in the name of Jesus,(ED) this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has completely healed him, as you can all see.
17 “Now, fellow Israelites,(EE) I know that you acted in ignorance,(EF) as did your leaders.(EG) 18 But this is how God fulfilled(EH) what he had foretold(EI) through all the prophets,(EJ) saying that his Messiah would suffer.(EK) 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out,(EL) that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah,(EM) who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him(EN) until the time comes for God to restore everything,(EO) as he promised long ago through his holy prophets.(EP) 22 For Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own people; you must listen to everything he tells you.(EQ) 23 Anyone who does not listen to him will be completely cut off from their people.’[m](ER)
24 “Indeed, beginning with Samuel, all the prophets(ES) who have spoken have foretold these days. 25 And you are heirs(ET) of the prophets and of the covenant(EU) God made with your fathers. He said to Abraham, ‘Through your offspring all peoples on earth will be blessed.’[n](EV) 26 When God raised up(EW) his servant, he sent him first(EX) to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin
4 The priests and the captain of the temple guard(EY) and the Sadducees(EZ) came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.(FA) 3 They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail(FB) until the next day. 4 But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew(FC) to about five thousand.
5 The next day the rulers,(FD) the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6 Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas,(FE) John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7 They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit,(FF) said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people!(FG) 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame(FH) and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,(FI) whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead,(FJ) that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is
12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”(FL)
13 When they saw the courage of Peter and John(FM) and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men,(FN) they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.(FO) 14 But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15 So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin(FP) and then conferred together. 16 “What are we going to do with these men?”(FQ) they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign,(FR) and we cannot deny it. 17 But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”
18 Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus.(FS) 19 But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him?(FT) You be the judges! 20 As for us, we cannot help speaking(FU) about what we have seen and heard.”(FV)
21 After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people(FW) were praising God(FX) for what had happened. 22 For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old.
The Believers Pray
23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24 When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God.(FY) “Sovereign Lord,” they said, “you made the heavens and the earth and the sea, and everything in them.(FZ) 25 You spoke by the Holy Spirit through the mouth of your servant, our father David:(GA)
“‘Why do the nations rage
and the peoples plot in vain?
26 The kings of the earth rise up
and the rulers band together
against the Lord
and against his anointed one.[p]’[q](GB)
27 Indeed Herod(GC) and Pontius Pilate(GD) met together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel in this city to conspire against your holy servant Jesus,(GE) whom you anointed. 28 They did what your power and will had decided beforehand should happen.(GF) 29 Now, Lord, consider their threats and enable your servants to speak your word with great boldness.(GG) 30 Stretch out your hand to heal and perform signs and wonders(GH) through the name of your holy servant Jesus.”(GI)
31 After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken.(GJ) And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit(GK) and spoke the word of God(GL) boldly.(GM)
The Believers Share Their Possessions
32 All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had.(GN) 33 With great power the apostles continued to testify(GO) to the resurrection(GP) of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace(GQ) was so powerfully at work in them all 34 that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them,(GR) brought the money from the sales 35 and put it at the apostles’ feet,(GS) and it was distributed to anyone who had need.(GT)
36 Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas(GU) (which means “son of encouragement”), 37 sold a field he owned and brought the money and put it at the apostles’ feet.(GV)
Ananias and Sapphira
5 Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. 2 With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself,(GW) but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.(GX)
3 Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan(GY) has so filled your heart(GZ) that you have lied to the Holy Spirit(HA) and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land?(HB) 4 Didn’t it belong to you before it was sold? And after it was sold, wasn’t the money at your disposal?(HC) What made you think of doing such a thing? You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”(HD)
5 When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died.(HE) And great fear(HF) seized all who heard what had happened. 6 Then some young men came forward, wrapped up his body,(HG) and carried him out and buried him.
7 About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. 8 Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”
“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”(HH)
9 Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?(HI) Listen! The feet of the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out also.”
10 At that moment she fell down at his feet and died.(HJ) Then the young men came in and, finding her dead, carried her out and buried her beside her husband.(HK) 11 Great fear(HL) seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.
The Apostles Heal Many
12 The apostles performed many signs and wonders(HM) among the people. And all the believers used to meet together(HN) in Solomon’s Colonnade.(HO) 13 No one else dared join them, even though they were highly regarded by the people.(HP) 14 Nevertheless, more and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.(HQ) 15 As a result, people brought the sick into the streets and laid them on beds and mats so that at least Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by.(HR) 16 Crowds gathered also from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing their sick and those tormented by impure spirits, and all of them were healed.(HS)
The Apostles Persecuted
17 Then the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party(HT) of the Sadducees,(HU) were filled with jealousy. 18 They arrested the apostles and put them in the public jail.(HV) 19 But during the night an angel(HW) of the Lord opened the doors of the jail(HX) and brought them out.(HY) 20 “Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”(HZ)
21 At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.
When the high priest and his associates(IA) arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin(IB)—the full assembly of the elders of Israel—and sent to the jail for the apostles. 22 But on arriving at the jail, the officers did not find them there.(IC) So they went back and reported, 23 “We found the jail securely locked, with the guards standing at the doors; but when we opened them, we found no one inside.” 24 On hearing this report, the captain of the temple guard and the chief priests(ID) were at a loss, wondering what this might lead to.
25 Then someone came and said, “Look! The men you put in jail are standing in the temple courts teaching the people.” 26 At that, the captain went with his officers and brought the apostles. They did not use force, because they feared that the people(IE) would stone them.
27 The apostles were brought in and made to appear before the Sanhedrin(IF) to be questioned by the high priest. 28 “We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,”(IG) he said. “Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.”(IH)
29 Peter and the other apostles replied: “We must obey God rather than human beings!(II) 30 The God of our ancestors(IJ) raised Jesus from the dead(IK)—whom you killed by hanging him on a cross.(IL) 31 God exalted him to his own right hand(IM) as Prince and Savior(IN) that he might bring Israel to repentance and forgive their sins.(IO) 32 We are witnesses of these things,(IP) and so is the Holy Spirit,(IQ) whom God has given to those who obey him.”
33 When they heard this, they were furious(IR) and wanted to put them to death. 34 But a Pharisee named Gamaliel,(IS) a teacher of the law,(IT) who was honored by all the people, stood up in the Sanhedrin and ordered that the men be put outside for a little while. 35 Then he addressed the Sanhedrin: “Men of Israel, consider carefully what you intend to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas appeared, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, all his followers were dispersed, and it all came to nothing. 37 After him, Judas the Galilean appeared in the days of the census(IU) and led a band of people in revolt. He too was killed, and all his followers were scattered. 38 Therefore, in the present case I advise you: Leave these men alone! Let them go! For if their purpose or activity is of human origin, it will fail.(IV) 39 But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men; you will only find yourselves fighting against God.”(IW)
40 His speech persuaded them. They called the apostles in and had them flogged.(IX) Then they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 The apostles left the Sanhedrin, rejoicing(IY) because they had been counted worthy of suffering disgrace for the Name.(IZ) 42 Day after day, in the temple courts(JA) and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news(JB) that Jesus is the Messiah.(JC)
The Choosing of the Seven
6 In those days when the number of disciples was increasing,(JD) the Hellenistic Jews[r](JE) among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows(JF) were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.(JG) 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples(JH) together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God(JI) in order to wait on tables. 3 Brothers and sisters,(JJ) choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit(JK) and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them(JL) 4 and will give our attention to prayer(JM) and the ministry of the word.”
5 This proposal pleased the whole group. They chose Stephen,(JN) a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit;(JO) also Philip,(JP) Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. 6 They presented these men to the apostles, who prayed(JQ) and laid their hands on them.(JR)
7 So the word of God spread.(JS) The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly,(JT) and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith.
Stephen Seized
8 Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs(JU) among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called)—Jews of Cyrene(JV) and Alexandria as well as the provinces of Cilicia(JW) and Asia(JX)—who began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they could not stand up against the wisdom the Spirit gave him as he spoke.(JY)
11 Then they secretly(JZ) persuaded some men to say, “We have heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.”(KA)
12 So they stirred up the people and the elders and the teachers of the law. They seized Stephen and brought him before the Sanhedrin.(KB) 13 They produced false witnesses,(KC) who testified, “This fellow never stops speaking against this holy place(KD) and against the law. 14 For we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place(KE) and change the customs Moses handed down to us.”(KF)
15 All who were sitting in the Sanhedrin(KG) looked intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Stephen’s Speech to the Sanhedrin
7 Then the high priest asked Stephen, “Are these charges true?”
2 To this he replied: “Brothers and fathers,(KH) listen to me! The God of glory(KI) appeared to our father Abraham while he was still in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Harran.(KJ) 3 ‘Leave your country and your people,’ God said, ‘and go to the land I will show you.’[s](KK)
4 “So he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Harran. After the death of his father, God sent him to this land where you are now living.(KL) 5 He gave him no inheritance here,(KM) not even enough ground to set his foot on. But God promised him that he and his descendants after him would possess the land,(KN) even though at that time Abraham had no child. 6 God spoke to him in this way: ‘For four hundred years your descendants will be strangers in a country not their own, and they will be enslaved and mistreated.(KO) 7 But I will punish the nation they serve as slaves,’ God said, ‘and afterward they will come out of that country and worship me in this place.’[t](KP) 8 Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision.(KQ) And Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him eight days after his birth.(KR) Later Isaac became the father of Jacob,(KS) and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.(KT)
9 “Because the patriarchs were jealous of Joseph,(KU) they sold him as a slave into Egypt.(KV) But God was with him(KW) 10 and rescued him from all his troubles. He gave Joseph wisdom and enabled him to gain the goodwill of Pharaoh king of Egypt. So Pharaoh made him ruler over Egypt and all his palace.(KX)
11 “Then a famine struck all Egypt and Canaan, bringing great suffering, and our ancestors could not find food.(KY) 12 When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our forefathers on their first visit.(KZ) 13 On their second visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was,(LA) and Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.(LB) 14 After this, Joseph sent for his father Jacob and his whole family,(LC) seventy-five in all.(LD) 15 Then Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and our ancestors died.(LE) 16 Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor at Shechem for a certain sum of money.(LF)
17 “As the time drew near for God to fulfill his promise to Abraham, the number of our people in Egypt had greatly increased.(LG) 18 Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’[u](LH) 19 He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.(LI)
20 “At that time Moses was born, and he was no ordinary child.[v] For three months he was cared for by his family.(LJ) 21 When he was placed outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him and brought him up as her own son.(LK) 22 Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians(LL) and was powerful in speech and action.
23 “When Moses was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 He saw one of them being mistreated by an Egyptian, so he went to his defense and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25 Moses thought that his own people would realize that God was using him to rescue them, but they did not. 26 The next day Moses came upon two Israelites who were fighting. He tried to reconcile them by saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why do you want to hurt each other?’
27 “But the man who was mistreating the other pushed Moses aside and said, ‘Who made you ruler and judge over us?(LM) 28 Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’[w] 29 When Moses heard this, he fled to Midian, where he settled as a foreigner and had two sons.(LN)
30 “After forty years had passed, an angel appeared to Moses in the flames of a burning bush in the desert near Mount Sinai. 31 When he saw this, he was amazed at the sight. As he went over to get a closer look, he heard the Lord say:(LO) 32 ‘I am the God of your fathers,(LP) the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.’[x] Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look.(LQ)
33 “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.(LR) 34 I have indeed seen the oppression of my people in Egypt. I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. Now come, I will send you back to Egypt.’[y](LS)
35 “This is the same Moses they had rejected with the words, ‘Who made you ruler and judge?’(LT) He was sent to be their ruler and deliverer by God himself, through the angel who appeared to him in the bush. 36 He led them out of Egypt(LU) and performed wonders and signs(LV) in Egypt, at the Red Sea(LW) and for forty years in the wilderness.(LX)
37 “This is the Moses who told the Israelites, ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your own people.’[z](LY) 38 He was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel(LZ) who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors;(MA) and he received living words(MB) to pass on to us.(MC)
39 “But our ancestors refused to obey him. Instead, they rejected him and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.(MD) 40 They told Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who led us out of Egypt—we don’t know what has happened to him!’[aa](ME) 41 That was the time they made an idol in the form of a calf. They brought sacrifices to it and reveled in what their own hands had made.(MF) 42 But God turned away from them(MG) and gave them over to the worship of the sun, moon and stars.(MH) This agrees with what is written in the book of the prophets:
“‘Did you bring me sacrifices and offerings
forty years in the wilderness, people of Israel?
43 You have taken up the tabernacle of Molek
and the star of your god Rephan,
the idols you made to worship.
Therefore I will send you into exile’[ab](MI) beyond Babylon.
44 “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the covenant law(MJ) with them in the wilderness. It had been made as God directed Moses, according to the pattern he had seen.(MK) 45 After receiving the tabernacle, our ancestors under Joshua brought it with them when they took the land from the nations God drove out before them.(ML) It remained in the land until the time of David,(MM) 46 who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.[ac](MN) 47 But it was Solomon who built a house for him.(MO)
48 “However, the Most High(MP) does not live in houses made by human hands.(MQ) As the prophet says:
49 “‘Heaven is my throne,
and the earth is my footstool.(MR)
What kind of house will you build for me?
says the Lord.
Or where will my resting place be?
50 Has not my hand made all these things?’[ad](MS)
51 “You stiff-necked people!(MT) Your hearts(MU) and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute?(MV) They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him(MW)— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels(MX) but have not obeyed it.”
The Stoning of Stephen
54 When the members of the Sanhedrin heard this, they were furious(MY) and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit,(MZ) looked up to heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.(NA) 56 “Look,” he said, “I see heaven open(NB) and the Son of Man(NC) standing at the right hand of God.”
57 At this they covered their ears and, yelling at the top of their voices, they all rushed at him,
Footnotes
- Acts 1:5 Or in
- Acts 1:5 Or in
- Acts 1:12 That is, about 5/8 mile or about 1 kilometer
- Acts 1:16 The Greek word for brothers and sisters (adelphoi) refers here to believers, both men and women, as part of God’s family; also in 6:3; 11:29; 12:17; 16:40; 18:18, 27; 21:7, 17; 28:14, 15.
- Acts 1:20 Psalm 69:25
- Acts 1:20 Psalm 109:8
- Acts 2:4 Or languages; also in verse 11
- Acts 2:9 That is, the Roman province by that name
- Acts 2:21 Joel 2:28-32
- Acts 2:23 Or of those not having the law (that is, Gentiles)
- Acts 2:28 Psalm 16:8-11 (see Septuagint)
- Acts 2:35 Psalm 110:1
- Acts 3:23 Deut. 18:15,18,19
- Acts 3:25 Gen. 22:18; 26:4
- Acts 4:11 Psalm 118:22
- Acts 4:26 That is, Messiah or Christ
- Acts 4:26 Psalm 2:1,2
- Acts 6:1 That is, Jews who had adopted the Greek language and culture
- Acts 7:3 Gen. 12:1
- Acts 7:7 Gen. 15:13,14
- Acts 7:18 Exodus 1:8
- Acts 7:20 Or was fair in the sight of God
- Acts 7:28 Exodus 2:14
- Acts 7:32 Exodus 3:6
- Acts 7:34 Exodus 3:5,7,8,10
- Acts 7:37 Deut. 18:15
- Acts 7:40 Exodus 32:1
- Acts 7:43 Amos 5:25-27 (see Septuagint)
- Acts 7:46 Some early manuscripts the house of Jacob
- Acts 7:50 Isaiah 66:1,2
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.