This man was handed over to you by God’s deliberate plan and foreknowledge; and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing him to the cross.

But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges!

With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all

“Go, stand in the temple courts,” he said, “and tell the people all about this new life.”

Day after day, in the temple courts and from house to house, they never stopped teaching and proclaiming the good news that Jesus is the Messiah.

Stephen Seized

Now Stephen, a man full of God’s grace and power, performed great wonders and signs among the people.

Then ‘a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt.’

He dealt treacherously with our people and oppressed our ancestors by forcing them to throw out their newborn babies so that they would die.

who enjoyed God’s favor and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.

But when they believed Philip as he proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

When they arrived, they prayed for the new believers there that they might receive the Holy Spirit,

Then Philip began with that very passage of Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, announcing the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

So if God gave them the same gift he gave us who believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to think that I could stand in God’s way?”

Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.

News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

“We tell you the good news: What God promised our ancestors

“Now when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep; he was buried with his ancestors and his body decayed.

“Friends, why are you doing this? We too are only human, like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them.

The church sent them on their way, and as they traveled through Phoenicia and Samaria, they told how the Gentiles had been converted. This news made all the believers very glad.

A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.

Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting?

“Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill.

But as he left, he promised, “I will come back if it is God’s will.” Then he set sail from Ephesus.

However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.