Bible in 90 Days

Stephen Is Arrested

⁸ Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and miraculous signs among the people. ⁹ Some men who were from what is called the Synagogue of the Freedmen (Cyrenians, Alexandrians, and some from Cilicia and Asia) rose up and disputed with Stephen. ¹⁰ But they were unable to stand up against the wisdom and the Spirit by whom he was speaking.

¹¹ Then they secretly induced some men to say, “We heard Stephen speak blasphemous words against Moses and against God.” ¹² They stirred up the people, the elders, and the experts in the law. They came, dragged Stephen away, and brought him before the Sanhedrin. ¹³ They presented false witnesses who said, “This man never stops making threats against this holy place and the law. ¹⁴ In fact, we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs Moses handed down to us.”

¹⁵ All those who were sitting in the Sanhedrin were looking intently at Stephen, and they saw that his face was like the face of an angel.

Stephen Defends Himself

7 Then the high priest asked, “Are these things true?”

² Stephen said, “Gentlemen, brothers and fathers, listen! The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he lived in Haran. ³ God said to him, ‘Leave your land and your relatives and come to the land that I will show you.’^[a]

⁴ “Then he left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God had him move from there to this land where you are now living.

⁵ “He gave him no inheritance in this land, not even enough to set his foot on. But God promised to give it as a possession to him and to his descendants^[b] after him,^[c] even though Abraham still had no child. ⁶ God revealed that his descendants^[d] would live as strangers in a foreign country, and that they would be enslaved and mistreated for four hundred years. ⁷ God added, ‘I will judge the nation that they will serve as slaves, and after that they will leave there and serve me in this place.’^[e]

⁸ “Then he gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day. Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob became the father of the twelve patriarchs.

Stephen Defends Himself

⁹ “The patriarchs, filled with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt, but God was with him. ¹⁰ God rescued him from all his troubles and granted him favor and wisdom before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. And Pharaoh made him governor over Egypt and over his whole palace.

¹¹ “A famine came over all of Egypt and Canaan, causing great suffering, and our fathers found no food. ¹² But when Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers on their first visit. ¹³ On their second visit, Joseph made himself known to his brothers, and Joseph’s family became known to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Then Joseph sent word and invited his father Jacob and all his relatives to come to him, seventy-five people in all. ¹⁵ Jacob went down to Egypt, and there he died, he and our fathers. ¹⁶ Their bodies were brought back to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a sum of silver from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

¹⁷ “As the time approached that God spoke about in the promise he had made^[f] to Abraham, the people increased and multiplied in Egypt. ¹⁸ This continued until another king who knew nothing about Joseph became ruler of Egypt. ¹⁹ He took advantage of our people in a cunning way, and he mistreated our fathers by forcing them to get rid of their babies so that they would not survive.^[g]

Stephen Defends Himself

²⁰ “At that time, Moses was born, and he was favored by God. For three months he was cared for in his father’s house. ²¹ After he was placed outside,^[h] Pharaoh’s daughter took him in and brought him up as her own son. ²² Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was powerful in his words and actions.

²³ “But when he was forty years old, it entered his mind to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel. ²⁴ When he saw one of them being mistreated, he defended him and avenged the oppressed man by striking down the Egyptian. ²⁵ He thought that his brothers would understand that God was giving them deliverance by his hand, but they did not understand. ²⁶ The next day, he came across two of them while they were fighting, and he tried to reconcile them. He said, ‘Men, you are brothers. Why are you harming each other?’ ²⁷ But the one who was harming his neighbor pushed him away, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and a judge over us? ²⁸ Do you want to kill me the same way you killed the Egyptian yesterday?’^{[i] 29} At this remark, Moses fled and lived as an exile in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

³⁰ “After forty years had passed, an angel of the Lord^[j] appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flames of a burning bush. ³¹ When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he went closer to look, the voice of the Lord said, ³² ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of^[k] Jacob.’^[l] Moses trembled and did not dare to look. ³³ Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take your sandals off your feet, because the place where you are standing is holy ground. ³⁴ I have certainly seen the oppression of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning. I have come down to rescue them. Now come, I will send you to Egypt.’^[m]

³⁵ “This is the same Moses they had rejected by saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ This is the one whom God sent to be a ruler and deliverer with the help of the angel who appeared to him in the bush. ³⁶ This is the one who led the people out, as he performed wonders and miraculous signs in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years. ³⁷ This is the Moses who said to the people of Israel, ‘God^[n] will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’^{[o] 38} This is the one who was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and with our fathers. He received living messages to give to us, ³⁹ but our fathers refused to obey him. Instead they pushed him away and turned back, in their hearts, to Egypt. ⁴⁰ They told Aaron, ‘Make gods for us who will go before us. As for this Moses who led us out of the land of Egypt—we do not know what has happened to him.’^{[p] 41} That was the time when they made a calf, offered a sacrifice to the idol, and were taking delight in the works of their hands.

⁴² “But God turned away and gave them over to the worship of the heavenly bodies, as it is written in the book of the prophets:

Stephen Defends Himself

⁴⁴ “Our fathers had the Tent of the Testimony in the wilderness. It was just like the model Moses had seen, just as he who spoke to Moses directed him to make it. ⁴⁵ After our fathers received it from him, they brought it in with Joshua when they took possession of the land from the nations God drove out before our fathers. It was here until the days of David. ⁴⁶ He found favor in the presence of God and asked that he might obtain a dwelling place for the God of Jacob.^{[r] 47} But it was Solomon who built a house for him.

⁴⁸ “However, the Most High does not live in houses made by human hands, just as the prophet says:

Stephen Condemns the Jewish Rulers

⁵¹ “You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears! You always resist the Holy Spirit! You are doing just what your fathers did. ⁵² Which of the prophets did your fathers not persecute? They killed those who prophesied the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have become his betrayers and murderers— ⁵³ you who received the law as transmitted by angels, but did not keep it.”

The Stoning of Stephen

⁵⁴ When they heard these things, they were furious and gnashed their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ But Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed up into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. ⁵⁶ He said, “Look, I see heaven opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”

⁵⁷ But they screamed at the top of their voices, covered their ears, and rushed at him with one purpose in mind. ⁵⁸ They threw him out of the city and stoned him. The witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul.

⁵⁹ While they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” ⁶⁰ Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” After he said this, he fell asleep.

8 Saul agreed with putting Stephen to death.

On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout the countryside of Judea and Samaria. ² Godly men buried Stephen, and they mourned deeply for him.

³ But Saul was trying to destroy the church by going into one house after another, dragging off both men and women, and putting them in prison.

The Word of God Spreads in Samaria

⁴ So those believers who were scattered went around proclaiming the gospel message. ⁵ Philip went down to the city of Samaria and began preaching the Christ to them. ⁶ With one mind, the crowds paid close attention to what was being said by Philip when they heard him and saw the miraculous signs he was doing. ⁷ Unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who were possessed, and many who were paralyzed and lame were healed. ⁸ So there was great joy in that city.

⁹ Now there was a man by the name of Simon, who had been practicing magic arts^[t] in the city. He amazed the people of Samaria while claiming that he was someone great. ¹⁰ They all paid attention to him, from the least of them to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” ¹¹ They paid attention to him, because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic arts. ¹² But when they believed Philip, as he preached the good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

¹³ Then even Simon himself believed. After he was baptized, he stayed close to Philip. As he observed the signs and great miracles that were taking place, he was amazed.

The Apostles Send Peter and John to Samaria

¹⁴ When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them. ¹⁵ When Peter and John arrived, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ for he had not yet come upon any of them. They had simply been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then Peter and John laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Holy^[u] Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money ¹⁹ and said, “Give me this power too, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.” ²⁰ But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money! ²¹ You have no part or share in this matter, because your heart is not right in God’s sight. ²² So repent of this wickedness of yours and pray to the Lord. Perhaps the intent of your heart may be forgiven you. ²³ For I see that you are filled with bitter poison and chained by wickedness.”

²⁴ Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

²⁵ After Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

²⁶ Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.” (This is an isolated area.) ²⁷ So he got up and went. And there was a man, an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official of Candace, Queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He had come to Jerusalem to worship. ²⁸ He was on his way home, sitting in his chariot and reading the prophet Isaiah.

²⁹ The Spirit told Philip, “Go over there and stay close to that chariot.” ³⁰ Philip ran up to it and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet.

Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

³¹ The man replied, “How can I unless someone explains it to me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

³² Now the passage of Scripture the eunuch was reading was this:

³⁴ The eunuch said to Philip, “I ask you, who is the prophet talking about—himself or someone else?” ³⁵ Then Philip began to speak. Starting with that very passage of Scripture, he told him the good news about Jesus. ³⁶ As they were traveling along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, here is water. What is there to prevent me from being baptized?”^[x]

³⁸ He ordered the chariot to stop. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. ³⁹ When they stepped up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away. The eunuch did not see him anymore, but went on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰ Philip, however, found himself at Azotus. And as he went from place to place, he preached the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

Jesus Appears to Saul on the Road to Damascus

9 Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He went to the high priest ² and asked him for letters to the synagogues of Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he might bring them to Jerusalem as prisoners.

³ As he went on his way and was approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?”

⁵ He asked, “Who are you, Lord?”

He replied, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. ⁶ But get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you need to do.”

⁷ The men traveling with him stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone.

⁸ They raised Saul up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could not see anything. They took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. ⁹ For three days he could not see, and he did not eat or drink.

Ananias Is Sent to Saul

¹⁰ There was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!”

He answered, “Here I am, Lord.”

¹¹ The Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called Straight, and at the house of Judas ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul. In fact, at this very moment he is praying. ¹² In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come in and lay his hands on him so that he can regain his sight.”

¹³ Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many people about this man and how much harm he did to your saints in Jerusalem. ¹⁴ And he has authority here from the chief priests to arrest all who call on your name.”

¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go! This man is my chosen instrument to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. ¹⁶ Indeed, I will show him how much he must suffer for my name.”

¹⁷ Ananias left and entered the house. Laying his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, whom you saw on your way here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

¹⁸ Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized. ¹⁹ And after taking some food, he regained his strength.

Saul (Paul) Proclaims Jesus

Saul stayed with the disciples in Damascus for several days. ²⁰ Immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “He is the Son of God.”

²¹ All who heard him were amazed and said, “Isn’t this the one who raised havoc in Jerusalem among those who call on this name? Didn’t he come here for this very purpose: to bring them as prisoners to the chief priests?” ²² But Saul continued to get stronger and kept confounding the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

²³ After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him, ²⁴ but Saul was informed of their plot. They were watching the gates both day and night in order to kill him. ²⁵ But his^[y] disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening in the wall by lowering him in a basket.^[z]

²⁶ When Saul came to Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him because they did not believe that he was a disciple. ²⁷ But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles. He described to them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road and that the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had preached fearlessly in the name of Jesus.

²⁸ Saul stayed with them, coming and going freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord. ²⁹ He kept on talking and debating with the Greek-speaking Jews, but they were looking for a way to kill him. ³⁰ When the brothers^[aa] learned about this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

³¹ Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria enjoyed peace as it was strengthened. It grew in numbers as it lived in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

Peter Heals Aeneas and Raises Tabitha From the Dead

³² As Peter went around from place to place, he also went down to the saints who lived in Lydda. ³³ There he found a paralyzed man named Aeneas, who had been lying on a mat for eight years. ³⁴ Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and take care of your mat!” Immediately, he got up. ³⁵ All those who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

³⁶ In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha, which in Greek is Dorcas.^[ab] She was always doing good deeds and acts of charity. ³⁷ At that time she became sick and died. After they had washed her, they laid her in an upstairs room. ³⁸ Since Lydda is near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him, who urged him, “Come to us without delay!”

³⁹ Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they led him to the room upstairs. All the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing him the robes and clothing that Dorcas made while she was still with them.

⁴⁰ After Peter sent them all outside, he got down on his knees and prayed. Then he turned toward the body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ⁴¹ He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. After he called the saints and the widows, he presented her to them alive.

⁴² This became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ⁴³ Peter stayed in Joppa for many days with a man named Simon the tanner.

Cornelius Sees a Vision

10 At Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, who was a centurion in what was called the Italian Regiment. ² He was devout and God-fearing, as was his entire family. He gave generous gifts to the poor and always prayed to God.

³ One day at about the ninth hour,^[ac] he clearly saw a vision in which an angel of God came to him and said, “Cornelius!”

⁴ Cornelius stared at him in terror and replied, “What is it, Lord?”

The angel told him, “Your prayers and your gifts to the poor have gone up as a memorial offering before God. ⁵ Now send men to Joppa to get a man named Simon, who is called Peter. ⁶ He is staying as a guest with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea.”

⁷ When the angel who spoke to him had left, Cornelius called two of his household servants and a devout soldier who was one of his personal attendants. ⁸ After explaining everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

Peter Sees a Vision

⁹ The next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray at about the sixth hour.^{[ad] 10} He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, he fell into a trance. ¹¹ He saw heaven opened and an object coming down. It was like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners.^{[ae] 12} In it were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles^[af] of the earth and birds of the sky.

¹³ Then a voice said to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!”

¹⁴ But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.”

¹⁵ Yet the voice came to him a second time: “What God has made clean, you must not continue to call unclean.”

¹⁶ This happened three times, and then the object was immediately taken up to heaven.^[ag]

¹⁷ While Peter was inwardly perplexed about what the vision he had seen might mean, just then the men who were sent by Cornelius arrived. They had asked for directions to Simon’s house and were standing at the gate. ¹⁸ They called out, asking if Simon, who was also called Peter, was staying there as a guest.

¹⁹ While Peter was still deep in thought about the vision, the Spirit said to him, “See, three men are looking for you! ²⁰ Now get up, go downstairs, and don’t hesitate to go with them, because I have sent them.”

²¹ Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come?”

²² They replied, “Cornelius the centurion is a righteous and God-fearing man, who is highly respected by the whole Jewish nation. He was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house and to listen to what you have to say.” ²³ So Peter invited them in and received them as guests.

Peter Goes to the Home of Cornelius

The next day, Peter got ready and left with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa went along with him. ²⁴ The following day, he arrived in Caesarea. Cornelius was expecting them and had called together his relatives and close friends. ²⁵ As Peter was about to enter the house, Cornelius met him, fell at his feet, and worshipped him. ²⁶ But Peter helped him up and said, “Stand up! I too am just a man.”

²⁷ While he talked with him, Peter went inside and found many people gathered there. ²⁸ He said to them, “You understand how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to associate with or visit anyone who is not a Jew. But God showed me that I should no longer continue to call anyone impure or unclean. ²⁹ That is why I came without objection when you sent for me. May I ask why you sent for me?”

³⁰ Cornelius replied, “From four days ago to this hour, I have been fasting. At the ninth hour,^[ah] I was praying in my house when a man in shining clothes suddenly stood in front of me. ³¹ He said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your gifts to the poor have been remembered in God’s sight. ³² Therefore send to Joppa and call for Simon, who is called Peter. He is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to you.^[ai]’ ³³ So I sent for you immediately, and it was good of you to come. Now then, we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything that the Lord^[aj] has instructed you to say.”

The Holy Spirit Comes on All Who Listen

³⁴ Then Peter began to speak: “Now I really am beginning to understand that God does not show favoritism, ³⁵ but in every nation, anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him. ³⁶ He sent his word to the people of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.

³⁷ “You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached. ³⁸ God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, because God was with him.

³⁹ “Indeed, we are witnesses of all the things he did in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem, yet they killed him by hanging him on a cross.^{[ak] 40} But God raised him on the third day and caused him to be seen, ⁴¹ not by all the people, but by the witnesses God had already chosen—by us, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead. ⁴² He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify solemnly that he is the one appointed by God as judge of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the prophets testify about him that, through his name, everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins.”

⁴⁴ While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who were listening to the message. ⁴⁵ All the circumcised believers who had come with Peter were amazed that the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out, even on the Gentiles. ⁴⁶ For they heard them speaking in other languages and praising God.

Then Peter responded, ⁴⁷ “Certainly no one can refuse water for baptizing these people! They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” ⁴⁸ He gave directions that they be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then they asked him to stay for a few days.

Peter Defends His Actions

11 The apostles and brothers throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. ² When Peter went up to Jerusalem, those who insisted on circumcision criticized him, ³ saying, “You went to visit men who were uncircumcised and ate with them!”

⁴ So Peter began to explain everything to them, point by point. He said, ⁵ “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision in which an object like a large sheet was let down from heaven by its four corners. It came right to me. ⁶ When I inspected it very carefully, I saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild beasts, reptiles, and birds of the air. ⁷ I also heard a voice telling me, ‘Get up, Peter! Kill and eat!’

⁸ “But I replied, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing impure or unclean has ever entered my mouth.’

⁹ “A voice spoke from heaven a second time: ‘What God has made clean, you must not continue to call unclean.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up into heaven again.

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 go with them without any hesitation. These six brothers also accompanied me, and we entered the man’s house. ¹³ He told us how he saw an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and call for Simon, the one called Peter. ¹⁴ He will speak words to you by which you and all your household will be saved.’

¹⁵ “As I began to speak, the Holy Spirit came down on them, just as he came down on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ Then I remembered how the Lord had said, ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’^{[al] 17} So if God gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus Christ, who was I to try to stand in God’s way?”

¹⁸ When they heard these things, they had no further objections, and they praised God, saying, “So then, God has granted repentance that results in life also to the Gentiles!”

The Church in Antioch

¹⁹ Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that took place at the time of Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. ²⁰ But there were some men from Cyprus and Cyrene who came to Antioch and also began to speak to the Greeks, preaching the good news about the Lord Jesus. ²¹ The Lord’s hand was with them, and a large number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

²² A report about this reached the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to go on to^[am] Antioch. ²³ When he arrived and saw God’s grace, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with devoted hearts. ²⁴ He was a good man who was full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a large number of people were added to the Lord.

²⁵ Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul. ²⁶ When he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year they met with the church and taught a large number of people. It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

The Church in Antioch Sends Relief to Jerusalem

²⁷ In those days some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. ²⁸ One of them, named Agabus, stood up and indicated by the Spirit that there was going to be a severe famine all over the known world. This took place during the time of Claudius. ²⁹ Each of the disciples, according to his ability, decided to send relief to the brothers^[an] who lived in Judea. ³⁰ They did this, sending it to the elders by means of Barnabas and Saul.

An Angel Frees Peter

12 At about that time, King Herod^[ao] laid violent hands on some who belonged to the church, in order to mistreat them. ² He had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword. ³ When he saw that this pleased the Jews, he proceeded to arrest Peter during the days of Unleavened Bread.

⁴ After arresting Peter, Herod put him in prison and handed him over to four squads of four soldiers each to guard him. Herod intended to bring him before the people for trial after the Passover. ⁵ So Peter was kept in prison, but the church earnestly offered up prayer to God for him.

⁶ The very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was bound with two chains, while sentries were in front of the door, guarding the prison.

⁷ Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood near him, and a light shone in the cell. The angel woke Peter up by striking him on the side, saying, “Quick, get up!” The chains fell from his wrists.

⁸ Then the angel said to him, “Get dressed and put on your sandals.” So he did so. Then the angel told him, “Put on your cloak and follow me.” ⁹ Peter went out, following the angel, but he did not realize that what the angel was doing was really happening. He thought he was seeing a vision. ¹⁰ When they had passed through the first and second guard posts, they came to the iron gate that leads into the city. It opened all by itself for them. They went outside, walked down one street, and immediately the angel left him.

¹¹ When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for sure that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from everything the Jewish people were expecting.”

¹² When he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, who is also called Mark. Many had gathered there and were praying. ¹³ When Peter knocked at the entrance gate, a servant girl named Rhoda came to answer. ¹⁴ She recognized Peter’s voice and was so overjoyed, she did not open the gate. Instead she ran in and announced that Peter was standing in front of the gate.

¹⁵ They told her, “You are out of your mind!” But she kept on insisting it was so, and they started saying, “It’s his angel.”

¹⁶ Meanwhile, Peter kept on knocking. When they opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. ¹⁷ Peter motioned to them with his hand to be silent and described to them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. He said, “Tell these things to James and to the brothers.” Then he left and went on to another place.

¹⁸ At daybreak, there was no small commotion among the soldiers about what had become of Peter. ¹⁹ After Herod searched for him and did not find him, he questioned the guards and ordered that they be executed.

Herod’s Death

Then Herod went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there. ²⁰ Herod was very angry with the people of Tyre and Sidon. They joined together and approached him after they had won over Blastus, the king’s personal assistant. They asked for peace because their country depended on the king’s country for food.

²¹ On the appointed day Herod, dressed in his royal robes and seated on his throne, delivered a public address to them. ²² The crowd shouted, “It’s the voice of a god and not of a man!” ²³ Immediately an angel of the Lord struck him down because he did not give the glory to God. He was eaten by worms and died.

²⁴ But the word of God continued to grow and increase.

²⁵ After Barnabas and Saul had completed their relief mission in Jerusalem, they returned^[ap] and brought along John, who is called Mark.

The Holy Spirit Calls Paul and Barnabas

13 Now in the church at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas; Simeon, who was called Niger; Lucius of Cyrene; Manaen, who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch; and Saul. ² While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” ³ Then, after they had fasted and prayed and laid their hands on them, they sent them off.

⁴ So they were sent out by the Holy Spirit and went down to Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁵ When they arrived at Salamis, they proclaimed the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. They also had John as their assistant.

⁶ When they had traveled through the whole island as far as Paphos, they came across a sorcerer, a Jewish false prophet whose name was Bar-Jesus. ⁷ He was with the proconsul, Sergius Paulus, who was an intelligent man. The proconsul summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God.

⁸ Elymas the sorcerer (for that is what his name means) opposed them and tried to turn the proconsul away from the faith. ⁹ But Saul, who is also called Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit and looking straight at him, ¹⁰ said, “You are full of every kind of deceit and fraud, you son of the Devil, you enemy of all righteousness! Will you never stop twisting the straight paths of the Lord? ¹¹ Now look! The hand of the Lord is against you. You will be blind, and for a time you will be unable to see the sun.”

Immediately mist and darkness came over him, and he went around looking for someone to lead him by the hand. ¹² When the proconsul saw what happened, he believed. He was amazed at the teaching of the Lord.

At Pisidian Antioch

¹³ Paul and his companions set sail from Paphos and came to Perga in Pamphylia. John, however, left them and returned to Jerusalem. ¹⁴ But they went on from Perga and arrived at Antioch in Pisidia. They went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. ¹⁵ After the reading of the Law and the Prophets, the leaders of the synagogue sent a message to them, saying, “Gentlemen,^[aq] brothers, if you have a word of encouragement for the people, say it.”

¹⁶ Then Paul stood up, motioned with his hand, and said, “Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. ¹⁷ The God of the people of Israel chose our fathers and made them a great people during their stay in the land of Egypt, and with his uplifted arm, he led them out of it. ¹⁸ He put up with them^[ar] for about forty years in the wilderness. ¹⁹ Then he destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, and he gave their land to his people as an inheritance. ²⁰ All this took about 450 years. After that, he gave them judges^[as] until the time of Samuel the prophet.

²¹ “Then the people asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for forty years. ²² After removing him, he raised up David as their king. God testified about him: ‘I have found David the son of Jesse to be a man after my own heart. He will do all that I want him to do.’^[at]

²³ “From this man’s descendants^[au] God brought the Savior Jesus to Israel, in keeping with his promise. ²⁴ Before he appeared publicly, John had preached a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. ²⁵ As John was finishing his course, he said, ‘Who do you suppose I am? I am not that One. But look! That One is coming after me, and I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet.’^[av]

²⁶ “Gentlemen, brothers, sons of Abraham’s family, and those among you who fear God, this message of salvation has been sent to you.^{[aw] 27} The people of Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize him, and by condemning him they fulfilled the statements of the prophets that are read every Sabbath. ²⁸ Though they found no grounds for a death sentence, they asked Pilate to have him executed. ²⁹ When they carried out everything that was written about him, they took him down from the cross^[ax] and laid him in a tomb. ³⁰ But God raised him from the dead, ³¹ and for many days he was seen by those who had come up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These same individuals are now his witnesses to the people.

³² “We are preaching to you the good news about the promise that was made to our fathers. ³³ God has fulfilled this promise for us, their children, by raising up Jesus. As it is also written in the second Psalm:

³⁴ “That God would raise him from the dead never again to be subject to decay, God said in this way:

³⁵ “Therefore he also says in another place:

³⁶ “For David, after he had served God’s purpose in his own generation, fell asleep, was laid to rest with his fathers, and saw decay. ³⁷ But the One God raised did not see decay.

³⁸ “So, gentlemen, brothers, let it be known to you that through this Jesus forgiveness of sins is being proclaimed to you, also forgiveness from everything from which you could not be justified through the law of Moses. ³⁹ In this Jesus, everyone who believes is justified. ⁴⁰ So watch out that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you:

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas were leaving, the people kept begging them to speak again on this same subject on the next Sabbath. ⁴³ When the meeting of the synagogue had been dismissed, many of the Jews and devout converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who talked with them and urged them to continue in the grace of God.

⁴⁴ On the next Sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of God.^{[bc] 45} But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with envy and began to contradict what Paul was saying by slandering him.^[bd]

⁴⁶ Then Paul and Barnabas responded fearlessly, “It was necessary that God’s word be spoken to you first. But since you reject it and consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life, look: We are now turning to the Gentiles! ⁴⁷ For this is what the Lord has instructed us:

⁴⁸ When the Gentiles heard this, they were rejoicing and praising the word of the Lord. All who had been appointed for eternal life believed.

⁴⁹ And the word of the Lord was being carried through the whole region. ⁵⁰ But the Jews incited the God-fearing women of high standing and the leading men of the city. They stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their district. ⁵¹ So they shook the dust off their feet against them and went to Iconium. ⁵² The disciples continued to be filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

In Iconium

14 The same thing happened in Iconium. Paul and Barnabas entered the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed. ² But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the brothers.

³ Paul and Barnabas stayed there a long time, speaking boldly for the Lord, who confirmed the message of his grace by granting them the ability to perform miraculous signs and wonders. ⁴ But the people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews and some with the apostles.

⁵ When there was a plot by both Gentiles and Jews, together with their rulers, to mistreat and stone them, ⁶ they found out about it and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra and Derbe and to the surrounding countryside. ⁷ There they kept on preaching the good news.

In Lystra and Derbe

⁸ In Lystra there was a man who was sitting down because he had no strength in his feet. He had never walked because he was lame from birth. ⁹ When he was listening to Paul as he was speaking, Paul looked at him closely and saw that he had faith to be healed. ¹⁰ Paul said in a loud voice, “Stand up on your feet!” And the man jumped up and began to walk.

¹¹ When the crowds saw what Paul had done, they raised their voices, saying in the Lycaonian language, “The gods have come down to us in human form.” ¹² Barnabas they called Zeus, and Paul they called Hermes, because he was the main speaker. ¹³ The priest of Zeus, whose temple was just outside the city, brought bulls and garlands to the city gates, because he wanted to offer sacrifices along with the crowds.

¹⁴ But when the apostles Paul and Barnabas heard about this, they tore their clothes and rushed into the crowd, shouting, ¹⁵ “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men with the same nature as you. We are preaching the good news to you so that you turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and everything in them. ¹⁶ In past generations he allowed all the nations to go their own ways. ¹⁷ Yet he did not leave himself without testimony of the good he does. He gives you rain from heaven and crops in their seasons. He fills you with food and fills your hearts with gladness.” ¹⁸ Even though they said these things, they had a hard time stopping the crowds from sacrificing to them.

¹⁹ Then some Jews came from Antioch and Iconium and persuaded the crowds to stone Paul. When they thought he was dead, they dragged him out of the city. ²⁰ But after the disciples had gathered around him, he stood up and went into the city. The next day, he left with Barnabas for Derbe.

The Return to Antioch

²¹ After they preached the good news in that city and had gathered many disciples, they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, ²² strengthening the souls of the disciples and encouraging them to continue in the faith. They told them, “We must go through many troubles on our way to the kingdom of God.” ²³ They had elders elected^[bf] for them in every church, and with prayer and fasting they entrusted them to the Lord, in whom they believed. ²⁴ When they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. ²⁵ When they had spoken the Word in Perga, they went down to Attalia.

²⁶ From there they sailed back to Antioch, where they had been entrusted to the grace of God for the work they had just completed. ²⁷ When they arrived and called the church together, they reported everything God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith for the Gentiles. ²⁸ Then they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

The Council at Jerusalem

15 Some men came down from Judea and began to teach the brothers: “Unless you are circumcised according to the law handed down by Moses, you cannot be saved.” ² Because this brought about a serious argument and debate between Paul and Barnabas and these men, they appointed Paul and Barnabas and some other men from the church to go up to Jerusalem, to see the apostles and the elders concerning this controversy.

³ After they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia and Samaria, they described in detail the conversion of the Gentiles and brought great joy to all the brothers. ⁴ When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church, the apostles, and the elders, and they reported everything God had done through them.

⁵ But some of the believers from the party of the Pharisees stood up and said, “It is necessary to circumcise the Gentiles and to command them to keep the Law of Moses.”

⁶ The apostles and the elders gathered together to look into this matter. ⁷ After there had been much discussion, Peter stood up and said to them, “Gentlemen, brothers, you know that some time ago God made a choice among you, that through my mouth the Gentiles would hear the message of the gospel and believe. ⁸ God, who knows the heart, testified on their behalf by giving them the Holy Spirit, exactly as he gave him to us. ⁹ He also showed that there is no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. ¹⁰ Now then, why are you testing God by putting on the necks of the disciples a yoke, which neither our fathers nor we have been able to bear? ¹¹ On the contrary! We believe that we are saved in the same way they are—through the grace of our Lord Jesus.”

¹² The whole assembly fell silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul, who reported all the signs and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

¹³ After they finished speaking, James responded, “Gentlemen, brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon has reported how God for the first time has visited the Gentiles, to take from them a people for his name. ¹⁵ The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

¹⁸ “Long ago he made these things known. ¹⁹ So it is my judgment that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles who are turning to God. ²⁰ Instead we should write a letter telling them to abstain from things polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from what is strangled, and from blood. ²¹ For from ancient times Moses has had those who proclaim him in every city, since he is being read in the synagogues every Sabbath.”

²² Then the apostles and the elders, together with the whole church, thought it would be best to choose men from their group to send to Antioch along with Paul and Barnabas, namely, Judas, called Barsabbas, and Silas, who were leading men among the brothers.

²³ They wrote this letter for them to deliver:

To the Gentile brothers in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia:

Greetings.

²⁴ We heard that there were some who came from us without our authorization and caused you distress by unsettling your minds with what they said.^{[bh] 25} So it seemed best to us, since we are of one mind, to choose some men to send to you, along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, ²⁶ men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ Therefore we have sent Judas and Silas, who will report these same things by word of mouth. ²⁸ For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us to put no greater burden on you than these essentials: ²⁹ You are to abstain from food sacrificed to idols, from blood, from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you carefully avoid these things, you will do well.

Farewell.

³⁰ After they were sent on their way, they went down to Antioch. They gathered the congregation together and delivered the letter. ³¹ The people read it and rejoiced over its encouraging message. ³² Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, also said much that encouraged and strengthened the brothers. ³³ After they had spent some time there, they were sent off by the brothers with the greeting of peace to those who had sent them.^{[bi] 35} But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they, along with many others, kept on teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas Go Separate Ways

³⁶ After a time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return and visit the^[bj] brothers^[bk] in every town where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John, who is called Mark, along with them. ³⁸ But Paul did not think it was a good idea to take him along, since he had deserted them in Pamphylia and did not continue to travel with them in the work. ³⁹ They had such a sharp disagreement that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, ⁴⁰ but Paul chose Silas and set out, after being entrusted to the grace of the Lord^[bl] by the brothers. ⁴¹ He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16 Paul arrived in Derbe and in Lystra, where there was a disciple named Timothy, who was the son of a believing Jewish woman, but his father was a Greek. ² The brothers in Lystra and Iconium spoke well of him. ³ Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews who lived in those places, because they all knew that his father was a Greek. ⁴ As they traveled through the towns, they delivered the resolutions decided by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem for the people to keep. ⁵ So the churches were strengthened in the faith and increased in number day by day.

The Call to Go to Macedonia (Europe)

⁶ They went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, because they were prevented by the Holy Spirit from speaking the word in the province of Asia. ⁷ When they went as far as Mysia, they tried to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. ⁸ So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. ⁹ A vision appeared to Paul during the night. A Macedonian man was standing there, urging him, “Come over to Macedonia and help us!” ¹⁰ As soon as he had seen the vision, we^[bm] immediately made plans to proceed to Macedonia, because we concluded that God^[bn] had called us to preach the good news to them.

At Philippi

¹¹ After we put out to sea from Troas, we sailed straight to Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis. ¹² From there we went to Philippi, which is a leading city in that part of Macedonia and a Roman colony. We stayed in this city for a number of days.

¹³ On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate alongside the river, where we thought there was a place of prayer.^[bo] We sat down and began to talk to the women who had gathered there. ¹⁴ A woman named Lydia, who worshipped God, was listening. She was a dealer in purple cloth from the city of Thyatira. The Lord opened her heart to pay close attention to what Paul was saying. ¹⁵ When she and her household were baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.” And she persuaded us.

Paul and Silas Put in Prison

¹⁶ Once when we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us. She had a spirit that foretold the future, and she made a large profit for her owners by fortune-telling. ¹⁷ As she followed Paul and us, she kept crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you^[bp] the way to be saved.” ¹⁸ When she kept doing this for many days, Paul became so annoyed that he turned to the spirit and said, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her!” And it came out at that very moment.

¹⁹ When her owners saw that their hope of making money was gone, they seized Paul and Silas and dragged them into the marketplace before the authorities. ²⁰ They had brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are throwing our city into a state of confusion. They are Jews, ²¹ and they are teaching customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice, since we are Romans.”

²² When the crowd also joined in the attack against them, the magistrates tore off their clothes and ordered them to be beaten with rods. ²³ After they had beaten them severely, they threw them into prison and ordered the jailer to guard them securely. ²⁴ Because he received such a command, the jailer threw them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks.

The Earthquake and the Jailer’s Conversion

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 prison were shaken. Instantly all the doors were opened, and everyone’s chains came loose. ²⁷ When the jailer woke up and saw that the prison doors were opened, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he thought that the prisoners had escaped. ²⁸ But Paul shouted with a loud voice, “Don’t harm yourself, because we are all here!”

²⁹ The jailer called for lights, rushed in, and fell down trembling in front of Paul and Silas. ³⁰ Then he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹ They said, “Believe in the Lord Jesus^[bq] and you will be saved, you and your household.” ³² They spoke the word of the Lord to him and to everyone in his home. ³³ At the same hour of the night, he took them and washed their wounds. Without delay, he and all his family were baptized. ³⁴ Then he brought Paul and Silas into his house and set food before them. He rejoiced, because he and his whole household had come to believe in God.

Released From Prison

³⁵ At daybreak the magistrates sent officers, saying, “Release those men!” ³⁶ The jailer reported these words to Paul: “The magistrates have sent orders that you should be released. So come out now and go in peace.”

³⁷ But Paul said to them, “They beat us publicly without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and threw us into prison. And now they are releasing us secretly? Absolutely not! Let them come themselves and escort us out!”