The Apostles Are Arrested

The high priest and all his friends, a group called the Sadducees, became very jealous.

They grabbed the apostles and put them in jail.

But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the doors of the jail. The angel led the apostles outside and said,

When the apostles heard this, they did what they were told. They went into the Temple area about sunrise and began to teach the people. The high priest and his friends came together and called a meeting of the high council and all the older Jewish leaders. They sent some men to the jail to bring the apostles to them.

When the men went to the jail, they could not find the apostles there. So they went back and told the Jewish leaders about this.

The captain and his men went out and brought the apostles back. But the soldiers did not use force, because they were afraid of the people. They were afraid the people would stone them to death.

The soldiers brought the apostles in and made them stand before the council. The high priest questioned them.

Peter and the other apostles answered, “We must obey God, not you!

When the council members heard this, they became very angry. They began to plan a way to kill the apostles.

But one member of the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, stood up. He was a teacher of the law, and all the people respected him. He told the men to make the apostles leave the meeting for a few minutes.

They called the apostles in again. They beat them and told them not to speak anymore using the name of Jesus. Then they let them go free.

The apostles left the council meeting. They were happy because they were given the honor of suffering dishonor for Jesus.

The apostles did not stop teaching the people. They continued to tell the Good News—that Jesus is the Messiah. They did this every day in the Temple area and in people’s homes.

The twelve apostles called the whole group of followers together. The apostles said to them, “It would not be right for us to give up our work of teaching God’s word in order to be in charge of getting food to people.

Then they put these men before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.

Saul agreed that the killing of Stephen was a good thing. Some godly men buried Stephen and cried loudly for him.

Trouble for the Believers

On that day the Jews began to persecute the church in Jerusalem, making them suffer very much. Saul was also trying to destroy the group. He went into their houses, dragged out men and women, and put them in jail. All the believers left Jerusalem. Only the apostles stayed. The believers went to different places in Judea and Samaria.

The apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted the word of God. So they sent Peter and John to the people in Samaria.

When the two apostles laid their hands on the people, they received the Holy Spirit.

Simon saw that the Spirit was given to people when the apostles laid their hands on them. So he offered the apostles money.

Then the two apostles told the people what they had seen Jesus do. They told them the message of the Lord. Then they went back to Jerusalem. On the way, they went through many Samaritan towns and told people the Good News.

But Barnabas accepted Saul and took him to the apostles. He told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. Then he told them how boldly Saul had spoken for the Lord in Damascus.

Peter Returns to Jerusalem

The apostles and the believers in Judea heard that non-Jewish people had accepted God’s teaching too.

But some of the people in the city agreed with the Jews who did not believe Paul and Barnabas. Others followed the apostles. So the city was divided.

But when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, understood what the people were doing, they tore their own clothes. Then they ran in among the people and shouted to them:

Paul and Barnabas were against this teaching and argued with these men about it. So the group decided to send Paul, Barnabas, and some others to Jerusalem to talk more about this with the apostles and elders.