Book of Common Prayer

⁴⁴ Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed them, telling Moses to make it according to the pattern that he had seen. ⁴⁵ Which tabernacle our fathers received and brought with Joshua into the lands held by the Gentiles, whom God drove out before the face of our fathers until the time of David. ⁴⁶ David found favour before God, and desired to make a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. ⁴⁷ But Solomon built him a house.

⁴⁸ However, he that is highest of all does not dwell in temples made with hands, as says the prophet: ⁴⁹ Heaven is my seat, and earth is my footstool. What house will you build for me, says the Lord? Or what place is it that I should rest in? ⁵⁰ Has not my hand made all these things?

⁵¹ You stiff-necked people, and of uncircumcised hearts and ears! You have always resisted the Holy Spirit. As your fathers did, so do you. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? And they killed those who told before of the coming of the Just One, whom you have now betrayed and murdered. ⁵³ And you also have received a law by the ordinance of angels, and have not kept it.

⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. ⁵⁵ But he, being full of the Holy Spirit, looked up steadfastly with his eyes into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ And he said, Behold, I see the heavens open, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

⁵⁷ Then they gave a shout with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him all at once, ⁵⁸ and cast him out of the city, and stoned him. And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ And they stoned Stephen, who was calling on the Lord and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit! ⁶⁰ And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge! And when he had thus spoken, he fell asleep.

Saul persecutes the Christians. The apostles are scattered abroad. Philip comes into Samaria. Simon Magus is baptized; he dissembles. Philip baptizes the chamberlain.

8 Saul had pleasure in Stephen’s death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the congregation that was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

¹⁹ Then Jesus said to them, Truly truly I say to you, the Son can do nothing of himself, but that which he sees the Father do. For whatsoever he does, that the Son does also. ²⁰ For the Father loves the Son and shows him all things, whatever he himself does. And he will show him greater works than these, because you should marvel. ²¹ For likewise as the Father raises up the dead and gives them life, even so the Son gives life to whom he will. ²² Neither does the Father judge any man, but has committed all judgment to the Son, ²³ because all should honour the Son fully as they honour the Father. He who does not honour the Son does not honour the Father who has sent him. ²⁴ Truly truly I say to you, he who hears my words and believes on him who sent me, has everlasting life, and shall not come into damnation, but is escaped from death to life.

²⁵ Truly truly I say to you, the time shall come, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God. And those who hear will live. ²⁶ For as the Father has life in himself, so likewise has he given to the Son to have life in himself, ²⁷ and has given him power also to judge, in that he is the Son of man. ²⁸ Do not be surprised at this. And the hour shall come in which all who are in the graves will hear his voice, ²⁹ and will come forth – those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of damnation.