Bible in 90 Days
Stephen Accused of Blasphemy
8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Opposition arose, however, from some members of the Freedmen’s Synagogue, composed of both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia, and they began to argue with Stephen. 10 But they were unable to stand up against his wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.
11 Then they secretly persuaded some men to say, “We heard him speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.”(A) 12 They stirred up the people, the elders, and the scribes; so they came, seized him, and took him to the Sanhedrin. 13 They also presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops speaking against this holy place and the law.(B) 14 For we heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs that Moses handed down to us.”(C) 15 And all who were sitting in the Sanhedrin looked intently at him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.
Stephen’s Sermon
7 “Are these things true?” the high priest asked.
2 “Brothers and fathers,” he replied, “listen: The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran,(D) 3 and said to him: Leave your country and relatives, and come to the land that I will show you.[a](E)
4 “Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. From there, after his father died, God had him move to this land in which you are now living.(F) 5 He didn’t give him an inheritance in it—not even a foot of ground—but he promised to give it to him as a possession, and to his descendants after him,(G) even though he was childless. 6 God spoke in this way: His descendants would be strangers in a foreign country, and they would enslave and oppress them for four hundred years. 7 I will judge the nation that they will serve as slaves, God said. After this, they will come out and worship me in this place.[b](H) 8 And so he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. After this, he fathered Isaac and circumcised(I) him on the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.(J)
The Patriarchs in Egypt
9 “The patriarchs became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt, but God was with him(K) 10 and rescued him out of all his troubles. He gave him favor and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who appointed him ruler over Egypt and over his whole household.(L) 11 Now a famine and great suffering came over all of Egypt and Canaan,(M) and our ancestors could find no food. 12 When Jacob heard there was grain in Egypt, he sent our ancestors there the first time. 13 The second time, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. 14 Joseph invited his father Jacob and all his relatives, seventy-five people in all,(N) 15 and Jacob went down to Egypt. He and our ancestors died there,(O) 16 were carried back to Shechem, and were placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.(P)
Moses, a Rejected Savior
17 “As the time was approaching to fulfill the promise that God had made to Abraham, the people flourished and multiplied in Egypt(Q) 18 until a different king who did not know Joseph ruled over Egypt.[c] 19 He dealt deceitfully with our race and oppressed our ancestors by making them abandon their infants outside so that they wouldn’t survive.(R) 20 At this time Moses was born, and he was beautiful in God’s sight. He was cared for in his father’s home for three months. 21 When he was put outside, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted and raised him as her own son.(S) 22 So Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in his speech and actions.(T)
23 “When he was forty years old, he decided to visit his own people, the Israelites. 24 When he saw one of them being mistreated, he came to his rescue and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian. 25 He assumed his people would understand that God would give them deliverance through him, but they did not understand. 26 The next day he showed up while they were fighting and tried to reconcile them peacefully, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you mistreating each other?’ (U)
27 “But the one who was mistreating his neighbor pushed Moses aside, saying: Who appointed you a ruler and a judge over us? 28 Do you want to kill me, the same way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?[d](V)
29 “When he heard this, Moses fled and became an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.(W) 30 After forty years had passed, an angel[e] appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. 31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he was approaching to look at it, the voice of the Lord came: 32 I am the God of your ancestors—the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.[f](X) Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look.
33 “The Lord said to him: Take off the sandals from your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34 I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt; I have heard their groaning and have come down to set them free. And now, come, I will send you to Egypt.[g](Y)
35 “This Moses, whom they rejected when they said, Who appointed you a ruler and a judge?[h]—this one God sent as a ruler and a deliverer through the angel who appeared to him in the bush.(Z) 36 This man led them out and performed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt,(AA) at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.(AB)
Israel’s Rebellion against God
37 “This is the Moses who said to the Israelites: God[i] will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.[j](AC) 38 He is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness, with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors.(AD) He received living oracles to give to us.(AE) 39 Our ancestors were unwilling to obey him. Instead, they pushed him aside, and in their hearts turned back to Egypt.(AF) 40 They told Aaron: Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us out of the land of Egypt, we don’t know what’s happened to him.[k](AG) 41 They even made a calf in those days, offered sacrifice to the idol, and were celebrating what their hands had made.(AH) 42 God turned away(AI) and gave them up to worship(AJ) the stars of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets:
House of Israel, did you bring me offerings and sacrifices
for forty years in the wilderness?
43 You took up the tent of Moloch
and the star of your god Rephan,
the images that you made to worship.
So I will send you into exile beyond Babylon.[l](AK)
God’s Real Tabernacle
44 “Our ancestors had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, just as he who spoke to Moses commanded him to make it according to the pattern he had seen.(AL) 45 Our ancestors in turn received it and with Joshua brought it in when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before them,(AM) until the days of David. 46 He found favor in God’s sight and asked that he might provide a dwelling place for the God[m] of Jacob.(AN) 47 It was Solomon, rather, who built him a house,(AO) 48 but the Most High does not dwell in sanctuaries made with hands, as the prophet says:(AP)
49 Heaven is my throne,
and the earth my footstool.
What sort of house will you build for me?
says the Lord,
or what will be my resting place?
50 Did not my hand make all these things?[n](AQ)
Resisting the Holy Spirit
51 “You stiff-necked(AR) people with uncircumcised hearts and ears!(AS) You are always resisting the Holy Spirit. As your ancestors did, you do also. 52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute?(AT) They even killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, whose betrayers and murderers(AU) you have now become. 53 You received the law under the direction of angels(AV) and yet have not kept it.”
The First Christian Martyr
54 When they heard these things, they were enraged[o] and gnashed their teeth at him. 55 Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.(AW) 56 He said, “Look, I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” (AX)
57 They yelled at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and together rushed against him. 58 They dragged him out of the city and began to stone(AY) him. And the witnesses laid their garments at the feet of a young man named Saul.(AZ) 59 While they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” (BA) 60 He knelt down and cried out with a loud voice,(BB) “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” And after saying this, he fell asleep.(BC)
Saul the Persecutor
8 Saul agreed with putting him to death.
On that day a severe persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the land of Judea and Samaria.(BD) 2 Devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him. 3 Saul,(BE) however, was ravaging the church. He would enter house after house, drag off men and women, and put them in prison.(BF)
Philip in Samaria
4 So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word. 5 Philip went down to a[p] city in Samaria and proclaimed the Messiah to them.(BG) 6 The crowds were all paying attention to what Philip said, as they listened and saw the signs he was performing. 7 For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed.(BH) 8 So there was great joy in that city.
The Response of Simon
9 A man named Simon had previously practiced sorcery in that city and amazed the Samaritan people, while claiming to be somebody great.(BI) 10 They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, and they said, “This man is called the Great Power of God.”[q](BJ) 11 They were attentive to him because he had amazed them with his sorceries for a long time. 12 But when they believed Philip, as he proclaimed the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.(BK) 13 Even Simon himself believed. And after he was baptized, he followed Philip everywhere and was amazed as he observed the signs and great miracles(BL) that were being performed.
Simon’s Sin
14 When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.(BM) 15 After they went down there, they prayed for them so that the Samaritans might receive the Holy Spirit because he had not yet come down on any of them. 16 (They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.(BN)) 17 Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 When Simon saw that the Spirit[r] was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money, 19 saying, “Give me this power also so that anyone I lay hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”
20 But Peter told him, “May your silver be destroyed with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!(BO) 21 You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right before God.(BP) 22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, your heart’s intent may be forgiven. 23 For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”(BQ)
24 “Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon replied, “so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”(BR)
25 So, after they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they traveled back to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
The Conversion of the Ethiopian Official
26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip: “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is the desert road.[s](BS)) 27 So he got up and went. There was an Ethiopian man, a eunuch(BT) and high official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of her entire treasury. He had come to worship in Jerusalem(BU) 28 and was sitting in his chariot on his way home, reading the prophet Isaiah aloud.
29 The Spirit told Philip, “Go and join that chariot.”(BV)
30 When Philip ran up to it, he heard him reading the prophet Isaiah, and said, “Do you understand what you’re reading?”
31 “How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 32 Now the Scripture passage he was reading was this:
He was led like a sheep to the slaughter,
and as a lamb is silent before its shearer,
so he does not open his mouth.
33 In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who will describe his generation?
For his life is taken from the earth.[t](BW)
34 The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet saying this about—himself or someone else?” 35 Philip proceeded to tell him the good news about Jesus, beginning with that Scripture.(BX)
36 As they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The eunuch said, “Look, there’s water. What would keep me from being baptized?” [u] 38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and he baptized him. 39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord(BY) carried Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any longer but went on his way rejoicing. 40 Philip appeared in[v] Azotus,[w] and he was traveling and preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.(BZ)
The Damascus Road
9 Now Saul was still breathing threats and murder against the disciples(CA) of the Lord. He went to the high priest(CB) 2 and requested letters(CC) from him to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women who belonged to the Way,(CD) he might bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem. 3 As(CE) he traveled and was nearing Damascus, a light from heaven suddenly flashed around him. 4 Falling to the ground, he heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”
5 “Who are you, Lord?” Saul said.
“I am Jesus, the one you are persecuting,” he replied. 6 “But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”
7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sound but seeing no one.(CF) 8 Saul got up from the ground, and though his eyes were open, he could see nothing. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. 9 He was unable to see for three days and did not eat or drink.
Saul’s Baptism
10 There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias.”
“Here I am, Lord,” he replied.(CG)
11 “Get up and go to the street called Straight,” the Lord said to him, “to the house of Judas, and ask for a man from Tarsus(CH) named Saul, since he is praying there. 12 In a vision[x] he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and placing his hands on him so that he may regain his sight.”(CI)
13 “Lord,” Ananias answered, “I have heard from many people about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem.(CJ) 14 And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”(CK)
15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, for this man is my chosen instrument(CL) to take my name to Gentiles,(CM) kings, and Israelites.(CN) 16 I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”(CO)
17 Ananias went and entered the house. He placed his hands on him and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road you were traveling, has sent me so that you may regain your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”(CP)
18 At once something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he got up and was baptized. 19 And after taking some food, he regained his strength.(CQ)
Saul Proclaiming the Messiah
Saul was with the disciples in Damascus for some time. 20 Immediately he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues: “He is the Son of God.”(CR)
21 All who heard him were astounded and said, “Isn’t this the man in Jerusalem who was causing havoc for those who called on this name and came here for the purpose of taking them as prisoners to the chief priests?” (CS)
22 But Saul grew stronger and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Messiah.
23 After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, 24 but Saul learned of their plot. So they were watching the gates day and night intending to kill him,(CT) 25 but his disciples took him by night and lowered him in a large basket through an opening in the wall.(CU)
Saul in Jerusalem
26 When he arrived in Jerusalem,(CV) he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him, since they did not believe he was a disciple. 27 Barnabas, however, took him and brought him to the apostles and explained to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had talked to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken boldly(CW) in the name of Jesus.(CX) 28 Saul was coming and going with them in Jerusalem, speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. 29 He conversed and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him.(CY) 30 When the brothers found out, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.(CZ)
The Church’s Growth
31 So the church(DA) throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and was strengthened. Living in the fear of the Lord and encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.
The Healing of Aeneas
32 As Peter was traveling from place to place, he also came down to the saints(DB) who lived in Lydda.(DC) 33 There he found a man named Aeneas, who was paralyzed and had been bedridden for eight years. 34 Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed,”[y] and immediately he got up.(DD) 35 So all who lived in Lydda and Sharon(DE) saw him and turned to the Lord.
Dorcas Restored to Life
36 In Joppa(DF) there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated Dorcas). She was always doing good works(DG) and acts of charity. 37 About that time she became sick and died. After washing her, they placed her in a room upstairs. 38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples heard that Peter was there and sent two men to him who urged him, “Don’t delay in coming with us.” 39 Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. And all the widows approached him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them. 40 Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down, prayed, and turning toward the body said, “Tabitha, get up.” She opened her eyes, saw Peter, and sat up.(DH) 41 He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. He called the saints and widows and presented her alive. 42 This became known throughout Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. 43 Peter stayed for some time in Joppa with Simon,(DI) a leather tanner.
Cornelius’s Vision
10 There was a man in Caesarea named Cornelius, a centurion of what was called the Italian Regiment.(DJ) 2 He was a devout man and feared God along with his whole household. He did many charitable deeds for the Jewish people and always prayed to God.(DK) 3 About three in the afternoon[z] he distinctly saw in a vision an angel of God who came in and said to him, “Cornelius.”(DL)
4 Staring at him in awe, he said, “What is it, Lord?”
The angel told him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity have ascended as a memorial offering before God.(DM) 5 Now send men to Joppa and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. 6 He is lodging with Simon, a tanner, whose house is by the sea.”(DN)
7 When the angel who spoke to him had gone, he called two of his household servants and a devout soldier, who was one of those who attended him. 8 After explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.
Peter’s Vision
9 The(DO) next day, as they were traveling and nearing the city, Peter went up to pray on the roof(DP) about noon.[aa] 10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing something, he fell into a trance. 11 He saw heaven opened(DQ) and an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners to the earth. 12 In it were all the four-footed animals and reptiles of the earth, and the birds of the sky. 13 A voice said to him, “Get up, Peter; kill and eat.”
14 “No, Lord!” Peter said. “For I have never eaten anything impure and ritually unclean.”(DR)
15 Again, a second time, the voice said to him, “What God has made clean, do not call impure.”(DS) 16 This happened three times, and suddenly the object was taken up into heaven.
Peter Visits Cornelius
17 While Peter was deeply perplexed about what the vision he had seen might mean, right away the men who had been sent by Cornelius, having asked directions to Simon’s house, stood at the gate. 18 They called out, asking if Simon, who was also named Peter, was lodging there.
19 While Peter was thinking about the vision, the Spirit told him, “Three men are here looking for you.(DT) 20 Get up, go downstairs, and go with them with no doubts at all, because I have sent them.”(DU)
21 Then Peter went down to the men and said, “Here I am, the one you’re looking for. What is the reason you’re here?”
22 They said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who has a good reputation with the whole Jewish nation, was divinely directed by a holy angel to call you to his house and to hear a message from you.”(DV) 23 Peter then invited them in and gave them lodging.
The next day he got up and set out with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.(DW) 24 The following day he entered Caesarea. Now Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 25 When Peter entered, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshiped him.
26 But Peter lifted him up and said, “Stand up. I myself am also a man.”(DX) 27 While talking with him, he went in and found a large gathering of people. 28 Peter said to them, “You know it’s forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner,(DY) but God has shown me that I must not call any person impure or unclean.(DZ) 29 That’s why I came without any objection when I was sent for. So may I ask why you sent for me?”
30 Cornelius replied, “Four days ago at this hour, at three in the afternoon,[ab] I was[ac] praying in my house. Just then a man in dazzling clothing stood before me(EA) 31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard, and your acts of charity have been remembered in God’s sight. 32 Therefore send someone to Joppa and invite Simon here, who is also named Peter. He is lodging in Simon the tanner’s house by the sea.’[ad] 33 So I immediately sent for you, and it was good of you to come. So now we are all in the presence of God to hear everything you have been commanded by the Lord.”
Good News for Gentiles
34 Peter began to speak: “Now I truly understand that God doesn’t show favoritism,(EB) 35 but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. 36 He sent the message to the Israelites, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ—he is Lord of all.(EC) 37 You know the events that took place throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John preached: 38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power, and how he went about doing good and healing all who were under the tyranny of the devil, because God was with him.(ED) 39 We ourselves are witnesses of everything he did in both the Judean country and in Jerusalem, and yet they killed him by hanging him on a tree.(EE) 40 God raised up this man on the third day and caused him to be seen, 41 not by all the people, but by us whom God appointed as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.(EF) 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead.(EG) 43 All the prophets testify(EH) about him that through his name(EI) everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.”(EJ)
Gentile Conversion and Baptism
44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came down(EK) on all those who heard the message. 45 The circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out even on the Gentiles.(EL) 46 For they heard them speaking in tongues[ae] and declaring the greatness of God.
Then Peter responded, 47 “Can anyone withhold water and prevent these people from being baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?” (EM) 48 He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.(EN) Then they asked him to stay for a few days.
Gentile Salvation Defended
11 The apostles and the brothers and sisters who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the circumcision party criticized him,(EO) 3 saying, “You went to uncircumcised men and ate with them.”(EP)
4 Peter began to explain to them step by step, 5 “I(EQ) was in the town of Joppa praying, and I saw, in a trance, an object that resembled a large sheet coming down, being lowered by its four corners from heaven, and it came to me. 6 When I looked closely and considered it, I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, the wild beasts, the reptiles, and the birds of the sky. 7 I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter; kill and eat.’
8 “‘No, Lord!’ I said. ‘For nothing impure or ritually unclean has ever entered my mouth.’ 9 But a voice answered from heaven a second time, ‘What God has made clean, you must not call impure.’
10 “Now this happened three times, and everything was drawn up again into heaven. 11 At that very moment, three men who had been sent to me from Caesarea arrived at the house where we were. 12 The Spirit told me to accompany them with no doubts at all. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we went into the man’s house.(ER) 13 He reported to us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa, and call for Simon, who is also named Peter. 14 He will speak a message to you by which you and all your household(ES) will be saved.’
15 “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as on us at the beginning.(ET) 16 I remembered the word of the Lord, how he said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’(EU) 17 If, then, God gave them the same gift that he also gave to us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I possibly hinder God?” (EV)
18 When they heard this they became silent. And they glorified God, saying, “So then, God has given repentance resulting in life even to the Gentiles.”(EW)
The Church in Antioch
19 Now those who had been scattered as a result of the persecution that started because of Stephen made their way as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch,(EX) speaking the word to no one except Jews. 20 But there were some of them, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, who came to Antioch and began speaking to the Greeks[af] also, proclaiming the good news about the Lord Jesus.(EY) 21 The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number who believed turned to the Lord.(EZ) 22 News about them reached[ag] the church in Jerusalem, and they sent out Barnabas to travel[ah] as far as Antioch. 23 When he arrived and saw the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged all of them to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts,(FA) 24 for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit(FB) and of faith. And large numbers of people were added(FC) to the Lord.
25 Then he went to Tarsus to search for Saul, 26 and when he found him he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught large numbers. The disciples(FD) were first called Christians at Antioch.(FE)
Famine Relief
27 In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch.(FF) 28 One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted by the Spirit that there would be a severe famine throughout the Roman world.[ai] This took place during the reign of Claudius.(FG) 29 Each of the disciples, according to his ability, determined to send relief to the brothers and sisters who lived in Judea.(FH) 30 They did this, sending it to the elders(FI) by means of Barnabas and Saul.
James Martyred and Peter Jailed
12 About that time King Herod violently attacked some who belonged to the church, 2 and he executed James,(FJ) John’s brother, with the sword. 3 When he saw that it pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter too, during the Festival of Unleavened Bread.(FK) 4 After the arrest, he put him in prison and assigned four squads of four soldiers each to guard him, intending to bring him out to the people after the Passover. 5 So Peter was kept in prison, but the church was praying fervently to God for him.
Peter Rescued
6 When Herod was about to bring him out for trial, that very night Peter, bound with two chains, was sleeping between two soldiers, while the sentries in front of the door guarded the prison. 7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord(FL) appeared, and a light shone in the cell. Striking Peter on the side, he woke him up and said, “Quick, get up!” And the chains fell off his wrists.(FM) 8 “Get dressed,” the angel told him, “and put on your sandals.” And he did. “Wrap your cloak around you,” he told him, “and follow me.” 9 So he went out and followed, and he did not know that what the angel did was really happening, but he thought he was seeing a vision.(FN) 10 After they passed the first and second guards, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city, which opened to them by itself. They went outside and passed one street, and suddenly the angel left him.(FO)
11 When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s grasp and from all that the Jewish people expected.”(FP) 12 As soon as he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John who was called Mark,(FQ) where many had assembled and were praying. 13 He knocked at the door of the outer gate, and a servant named Rhoda came to answer. 14 She recognized Peter’s voice, and because of her joy, she did not open the gate but ran in and announced that Peter was standing at the outer gate.
15 “You’re out of your mind!” they told her. But she kept insisting that it was true, and they said, “It’s his angel.”(FR) 16 Peter, however, kept on knocking, and when they opened the door and saw him, they were amazed.
17 Motioning to them with his hand(FS) to be silent, he described to them how the Lord had brought him out of the prison. “Tell these things to James(FT) and the brothers,” he said, and he left and went to another place.
18 At daylight, there was a great commotion among the soldiers as to what had become of Peter. 19 After Herod had searched and did not find him, he interrogated the guards and ordered their execution. Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there.(FU)
Herod’s Death
20 Herod had been very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. Together they presented themselves before him. After winning over Blastus, who was in charge of the king’s bedroom, they asked for peace, because their country was supplied with food from the king’s country.(FV) 21 On an appointed day, dressed in royal robes and seated on the throne, Herod delivered a speech to them. 22 The assembled people began to shout, “It’s the voice of a god and not of a man!” 23 At once an angel of the Lord(FW) struck him because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died.(FX)
24 But the word of God spread and multiplied.(FY) 25 After they had completed their relief mission, Barnabas and Saul returned to[aj] Jerusalem, taking along John who was called Mark.(FZ)
Preparing for the Mission Field
13 Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen, a close friend of Herod the tetrarch,(GA) and Saul.
2 As they were worshiping[ak] the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”(GB) 3 Then after they had fasted, prayed, and laid hands on them, they sent them off.(GC)
The Mission to Cyprus
4 So being sent out by the Holy Spirit, they went down to Seleucia, and from there they sailed to Cyprus. 5 Arriving in Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant.(GD) 6 When they had traveled the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus.(GE) 7 He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. This man summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God.(GF) 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (that is the meaning of his name) opposed(GG) them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith.(GH)
9 But Saul—also called Paul—filled with the Holy Spirit, stared straight at Elymas 10 and said, “You are full of all kinds of deceit and trickery, you son of the devil(GI) and enemy of all that is right. Won’t you ever stop perverting the straight paths(GJ) of the Lord? 11 Now, look, the Lord’s hand is against you.(GK) You are going to be blind, and will not see the sun for a time.” Immediately a mist and darkness fell on him, and he went around seeking someone to lead him by the hand.
12 Then, when he saw what happened, the proconsul believed, because he was astonished at the teaching of the Lord.(GL)
Paul’s Sermon in Antioch of Pisidia
13 Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia, but John left them and went back to Jerusalem.(GM) 14 They continued their journey from Perga and reached Pisidian Antioch. On the Sabbath day they went into the synagogue and sat down.(GN) 15 After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent word to them, saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of encouragement for the people, you can speak.”(GO)
16 Paul stood up and motioned with his hand and said, “Fellow Israelites, and you who fear God, listen!(GP) 17 The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors, made the people prosper during their stay in the land of Egypt, and led them out of it with a mighty[al] arm.(GQ) 18 And for about forty years he put up with them[am] in the wilderness;(GR) 19 and after destroying seven nations in the land of Canaan,(GS) he gave them their land as an inheritance. 20 This all took about 450 years. After this, he gave them judges until Samuel the prophet.(GT) 21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years.(GU) 22 After removing him,(GV) he raised up David as their king and testified about him, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart,[an](GW) who will carry out all my will.’
23 “From this man’s descendants, as he promised, God brought to Israel(GX) the Savior, Jesus.[ao] 24 Before his coming to public attention, John had previously proclaimed a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel.(GY) 25 Now as John was completing his mission, he said, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the one. But one is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’(GZ)
26 “Brothers and sisters, children of Abraham’s race, and those among you who fear God, it is to us that the word of this salvation has been sent.(HA) 27 Since the residents of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him or the sayings of the prophets that are read every Sabbath, they have fulfilled their words by condemning him.(HB) 28 Though they found no grounds for the death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him killed.(HC) 29 When they had carried out all that had been written about him, they took him down from the tree and put him in a tomb.(HD) 30 But God raised him from the dead,(HE) 31 and he appeared for many days to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are now his witnesses to the people.(HF) 32 And we ourselves proclaim to you the good news of the promise that was made to our ancestors.(HG) 33 God has fulfilled this for us, their children, by raising up Jesus, as it is written in the second Psalm:
34 As to his raising him from the dead, never to return to decay, he has spoken in this way, I will give you the holy and sure promises of David.[ar](HI) 35 Therefore he also says in another passage, You will not let your Holy One see decay.[as](HJ) 36 For David, after serving God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep,(HK) was buried with his fathers, and decayed,(HL) 37 but the one God raised up did not decay. 38 Therefore, let it be known to you, brothers and sisters, that through this man forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you.(HM) 39 Everyone who believes is justified[at] through him from everything that you could not be justified from through the law of Moses.(HN) 40 So beware that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you:
41 Look, you scoffers,
marvel and vanish away,
because I am doing a work in your days,
a work that you will never believe,
even if someone were to explain it to you.”[au](HO)
Paul and Barnabas in Antioch
42 As they were leaving, the people[av] urged them to speak about these matters the following Sabbath. 43 After the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and urging them to continue in the grace of God.(HP)
44 The following Sabbath almost the whole town assembled to hear the word of the Lord.[aw] 45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and began to contradict what Paul was saying, insulting him.(HQ)
46 Paul and Barnabas boldly replied, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first. Since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, we are turning to the Gentiles.(HR) 47 For this is what the Lord has commanded us:
48 When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and honored the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed to eternal life believed. 49 The word of the Lord spread through the whole region. 50 But the Jews incited the prominent God-fearing women and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district.(HT) 51 But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet(HU) against them(HV) and went to Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.(HW)
Growth and Persecution in Iconium
14 In Iconium they entered the Jewish synagogue, as usual, and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.(HX) 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.(HY) 3 So they stayed there a long time and spoke boldly for the Lord, who testified to the message of his grace by enabling them to do signs and wonders.(HZ) 4 But the people of the city were divided, some siding with the Jews and others with the apostles.(IA) 5 When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to mistreat and stone them, 6 they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian towns of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside.(IB) 7 There they continued preaching the gospel.(IC)
Mistaken for Gods in Lystra
8 In Lystra a man was sitting who was without strength in his feet, had never walked, and had been lame from birth. 9 He listened as Paul spoke. After looking directly at him and seeing that he had faith to be healed, 10 Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And he jumped up and began to walk around.(ID)
11 When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form!” (IE) 12 Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul, Hermes, because he was the chief speaker. 13 The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the town, brought bulls and wreaths to the gates because he intended, with the crowds, to offer sacrifice.
14 The apostles Barnabas and Paul tore their robes when they heard this and rushed into the crowd, shouting,(IF) 15 “People! Why are you doing these things? We are people also, just like you, and we are proclaiming good news to you, that you turn from these worthless things(IG) to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them.[ay](IH) 16 In past generations he allowed all the nations(II) to go their own way, 17 although he did not leave himself without a witness,(IJ) since he did what is good by giving you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons(IK) and filling you with food and your hearts with joy.” 18 Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.
19 Some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and when they won over the crowds, they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead.(IL) 20 After the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the town. The next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe.(IM)
Church Planting
21 After they had preached the gospel in that town and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, to Iconium, and to Antioch,(IN) 22 strengthening the[az] disciples by encouraging them to continue in the faith(IO) and by telling them, “It is necessary to go through many hardships(IP) to enter the kingdom of God.” 23 When they had appointed elders(IQ) for them in every church and prayed with fasting, they committed them to the Lord in whom they had believed.
24 They passed through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25 After they had spoken the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. 26 From there they sailed back to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now completed.(IR) 27 After they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported everything God had done with them(IS) and that he had opened the door(IT) of faith to the Gentiles. 28 And they spent a considerable time with the disciples.
Dispute in Antioch
15 Some men(IU) came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised(IV) according to the custom prescribed by Moses,(IW) you cannot be saved.” 2 After Paul and Barnabas had engaged them in serious argument and debate, Paul and Barnabas and some others were appointed to go up to the apostles and elders in Jerusalem about this issue.(IX) 3 When they had been sent on their way by the church,(IY) they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and they brought great joy to all the brothers and sisters.
4 When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them.(IZ) 5 But some of the believers who belonged to the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to command them to keep the law of Moses.”
The Jerusalem Council
6 The apostles and the elders gathered to consider this matter. 7 After there had been much debate, Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you are aware that in the early days God made a choice among you,[ba] that by my mouth the Gentiles would hear the gospel message and believe. 8 And God, who knows the heart, bore witness to them by giving them the Holy Spirit, just as he also did to us.(JA) 9 He made no distinction between us and them,(JB) cleansing their hearts by faith.(JC) 10 Now then, why are you testing God by putting a yoke on the disciples’ necks(JD) that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear? 11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through the grace(JE) of the Lord Jesus in the same way they are.”
12 The whole assembly became silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul describe all the signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.(JF) 13 After they stopped speaking, James responded, “Brothers, listen to me. 14 Simeon[bb] has reported how God first intervened to take from the Gentiles a people for his name.(JG) 15 And the words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:
16 After these things I will return
and rebuild David’s fallen tent.
I will rebuild its ruins
and set it up again,
17 so that the rest of humanity
may seek the Lord—
even all the Gentiles
who are called by my name—
declares the Lord
who makes these things 18 known from long ago.[bc][bd](JH)
19 Therefore, in my judgment, we should not cause difficulties for those among the Gentiles who turn to God, 20 but instead we should write to them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality,(JI) from eating anything that has been strangled, and from blood. 21 For since ancient times, Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, and every Sabbath day he is read aloud in the synagogues.”(JJ)
The Letter to the Gentile Believers
22 Then the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, decided to select men who were among them and to send them to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas: Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas,(JK) both leading men among the brothers. 23 They wrote:
“From the apostles and the elders, your brothers,
To the brothers and sisters among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:(JL)
Greetings.
24 Since we have heard that some without our authorization went out from us(JM) and troubled you with their words and unsettled your hearts,[be](JN) 25 we have unanimously(JO) decided to select men and send them to you along with our dearly loved Barnabas and Paul, 26 who have risked their lives(JP) for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 27 Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will personally report the same things by word of mouth. 28 For it was the Holy Spirit’s decision—and ours—not to place further burdens on you beyond these requirements:(JQ) 29 that you abstain from food offered to idols, from blood, from eating anything that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality.(JR) You will do well if you keep yourselves from these things.
Farewell.”
The Outcome of the Jerusalem Letter
30 So they were sent off and went down to Antioch, and after gathering the assembly, they delivered the letter. 31 When they read it, they rejoiced because of its encouragement. 32 Both Judas and Silas, who were also prophets themselves, encouraged the brothers and sisters and strengthened them with a long message.(JS) 33 After spending some time there, they were sent back in peace(JT) by the brothers and sisters to those who had sent them.[bf][bg] 35 But Paul and Barnabas, along with many others, remained in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming the word of the Lord.(JU)
Paul and Barnabas Part Company
36 After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers and sisters in every town(JV) where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they’re doing.” 37 Barnabas wanted to take along John who was called Mark. 38 But Paul insisted that they should not take along this man who had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not gone on with them to the work. 39 They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company, and Barnabas took Mark(JW) with him and sailed off to Cyprus. 40 But Paul chose Silas and departed, after being commended by the brothers and sisters to the grace of the Lord.(JX) 41 He traveled through Syria(JY) and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Paul Selects Timothy
16 Paul went on to Derbe and Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy,(JZ) the son of a believing Jewish woman,(KA) but his father was a Greek. 2 The brothers and sisters at Lystra and Iconium spoke highly of him.(KB) 3 Paul wanted Timothy to go with him; so he took him and circumcised(KC) him because of the Jews who were in those places, since they all knew that his father was a Greek. 4 As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the decisions reached by the apostles and elders at Jerusalem for the people to observe.(KD) 5 So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers.(KE)
Evangelization of Europe
6 They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia; they had been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia.(KF) 7 When they came to Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus(KG) did not allow them. 8 Passing by Mysia they went down to Troas.(KH) 9 During the night Paul had a vision in which a Macedonian man was standing and pleading with him, “Cross over to Macedonia and help us!” (KI) 10 After(KJ) he had seen the vision, we immediately made efforts to set out for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.
Lydia’s Conversion
11 From Troas we put out to sea and sailed straight for Samothrace, the next day to Neapolis, 12 and from there to Philippi,(KK) a Roman colony and a leading city of the district of Macedonia. We stayed in that city for several days. 13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate by the river, where we expected to find a place of prayer. We sat down and spoke to the women gathered there. 14 A God-fearing woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira, was listening. The Lord opened her heart to respond to what Paul was saying.(KL) 15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.”(KM) And she persuaded us.
Paul and Silas in Prison
16 Once, as we were on our way to prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit by which she predicted the future.(KN) She made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. 17 As she followed Paul and us she cried out, “These men, who are proclaiming to you[bh] a way of salvation, are the servants of the Most High God.” 18 She did this for many days.
Paul was greatly annoyed. Turning to the spirit, he said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out right away.(KO)
19 When her owners realized that their hope of profit was gone, they seized Paul and Silas(KP) and dragged them into the marketplace to the authorities. 20 Bringing them before the chief magistrates, they said, “These men are seriously disturbing our city. They are Jews 21 and are promoting customs that are not legal for us as Romans to adopt or practice.”(KQ) 22 The crowd joined in the attack against them, and the chief magistrates stripped off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods.(KR) 23 After they had severely flogged them, they threw them in jail, ordering the jailer to guard them carefully. 24 Receiving such an order, he put them into the inner prison and secured their feet in the stocks.(KS)
A Midnight Deliverance
25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. 26 Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the jail were shaken, and immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose.(KT) 27 When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself, since he thought the prisoners had escaped.
28 But Paul called out in a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we’re all here!”
29 The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. 30 He escorted them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” (KU)
31 They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”(KV) 32 And they spoke the word of the Lord to him along with everyone in his house. 33 He took them the same hour of the night and washed their wounds. Right away he and all his family were baptized. 34 He brought them into his house, set a meal before them, and rejoiced because he had come to believe in God with his entire household.(KW)
An Official Apology
35 When daylight came, the chief magistrates sent the police to say, “Release those men.”
36 The jailer reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders for you to be released. So come out now and go in peace.”(KX)
37 But Paul said to them, “They beat us in public without a trial, although we are Roman citizens, and threw us in jail. And now are they going to send us away secretly? Certainly not! On the contrary, let them come themselves and escort us out.”(KY)
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