Book of Common Prayer

8 Now Saul was giving his consent to Stephen’s death.

That very day a great persecution was started against the church in Jerusalem. Everyone except the apostles was scattered through the lands of Judaea and Samaria. ² Devout men buried Stephen, and made a great lamentation over him. ³ But Saul was doing great damage to the church by going from one house to another, dragging off men and women and throwing them into prison.

Samaria, the spirit and Simon Magus

⁴ Those who were scattered went all over the place announcing the word. ⁵ Philip went off to a town in Samaria and announced the Messiah to them. ⁶ The crowds, acting as one, clung to what Philip was saying, as they heard him and saw the signs he performed. ⁷ For unclean spirits came out of many of them, and several who were paralyzed or lame were cured. ⁸ So there was great joy in that town.

⁹ But there was a man named Simon, who had lived in the town for some while and who practiced magic. He used to astonish the Samaritan people, giving out that he was some great personage. ¹⁰ Everyone, small and great alike, paid attention to him, and said, “This man is the one called ‘God’s Great Power’!” ¹¹ They had been under his spell for some time, since they were amazed at the magic he could perform. ¹² But when they believed Philip as he was announcing to them the message about God’s kingdom and the Name of Jesus the Messiah, they were baptized, men and women alike. ¹³ Simon too believed and was baptized, paying close attention to Philip. When he saw signs, and great and powerful deeds, it was his turn to be astonished.

The evidence in support of Jesus

³⁰ “I can’t do anything on my own authority,” Jesus went on. “I judge on the basis of what I hear. And my judgment is just, because I’m not trying to carry out my own wishes, but the wishes of the one who sent me.

³¹ “If I give evidence about myself, my evidence isn’t true. ³² There is someone else who gives evidence about me, and I know that the evidence he brings about me is true. ³³ You sent messengers to John, and he gave evidence about the truth. ³⁴ Not that I need evidence from human beings; but I’m saying this so that you may be saved.

³⁵ “John was a burning, bright lamp, and you were happy to celebrate in his light for a while. ³⁶ But I have greater evidence on my side than that of John. The works which the father has given me to complete—these works, which I’m doing, will provide evidence about me, evidence that the father has sent me. ³⁷ And the father who sent me has given evidence about me. You’ve never heard his voice; you’ve never seen his form. ³⁸ What’s more, you haven’t got his word abiding in you, because you don’t believe in the one he sent.”

Jesus and Moses

³⁹ “You study the Bible,” Jesus continued, “because you suppose that you’ll discover the life of God’s coming age in it. In fact, it’s the Bible which gives evidence about me! ⁴⁰ But you won’t come to me so that you can have life.

⁴¹ “I’m not accepting glory from human beings; ⁴² but I know that you haven’t got the love of God within you. ⁴³ I have come in the name of my father, and you won’t receive me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will receive him! ⁴⁴ How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you’re not looking for the glory which comes from the one and only God?

⁴⁵ “Don’t think that I’m going to accuse you to the father. There is someone who accuses you, namely Moses, the one you look to in hope! ⁴⁶ You see, if you’d believed Moses, you would have believed me—because it was me he was writing about. ⁴⁷ But if you don’t believe his writings, how are you going to believe my words?”