New Testament in a Year
22 But Saul became even more powerful when he taught the people. He showed very clearly that Jesus is God's Messiah. So the Jews who lived there in Damascus could not answer him.
23 After many days, the Jews met together. They decided that they would kill Saul. 24 But someone told Saul about this. The Jews carefully watched the gates of the city all day and all night. They wanted to catch Saul and to kill him. 25 But one night, Saul's friends helped him to leave the city secretly. They put him in a basket. Then they put him through a hole in the city wall. Then they let the basket go slowly down to the ground outside the city.[a]
Saul returns to Jerusalem
26 Saul returned to Jerusalem. He wanted to join the group of believers there. But they were all afraid of him. They did not believe that he had really become a disciple of Jesus. 27 But one of the believers who was called Barnabas helped Saul. He took Saul to meet the apostles. Barnabas then explained to the apostles what had happened to Saul. Barnabas said to them, ‘Saul saw the Lord when he was on his way to Damascus. The Lord spoke to him there. Then, while Saul was in Damascus, he bravely told people the message about Jesus.’
28 After that, Saul stayed with the apostles. He went everywhere in Jerusalem and he bravely taught people the message about the Lord Jesus. 29 Saul also talked with the Jews who spoke the Greek language.[b] He argued with them about Jesus. As a result, they wanted to kill him.
30 The other believers heard about this. So they took Saul away to Caesarea. From there, they sent him to Tarsus.
31 By this time there were believers everywhere in Judea, Galilee and Samaria. For some time they had no troubles. The Holy Spirit helped them to become strong. So more people became believers, and they obeyed God in everything that they did.
Peter travels to Lydda and Joppa
32 Peter often travelled to many different places. One day he travelled to Lydda, and he went to see the believers there. 33 In Lydda, he met a man called Aeneas. Aeneas could not move his arms or his legs. He lay on his mat all the time. He had been on his mat for eight years.
34 Peter said to Aeneas, ‘Jesus Christ now makes you well again! So stand up and put away your mat.’ Immediately Aeneas stood up. 35 Many people who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw Aeneas. They saw that he was now well and they believed in the Lord Jesus.
36 There was a woman called Tabitha who lived in Joppa.[c] She was a believer. In the Greek language, her name was Dorcas, which means ‘deer’.[d] She was always doing good things to help people. She gave poor people the things that they needed.
37 Dorcas became very ill and then she died. Women washed her body and they put it in a room upstairs. 38 Joppa was not very far from Lydda. The believers in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda. So they sent two men to go and to tell him, ‘Please hurry and come to Joppa.’
39 Peter then returned to Joppa with the two men. When he arrived at Dorcas's house, some women took him upstairs. Many widows were there and they were crying. They all stood there, near to Peter. They showed him the shirts and coats that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.
40 Peter sent all these women out of the room. He went down on his knees and he prayed to God. Then he turned his head towards the dead woman and he said, ‘Tabitha, stand up!’ She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 Peter held her hand and he helped her to stand up. Then he told the widows and all the believers to come into the room. He showed them that Dorcas was alive again.
42 People everywhere in Joppa heard what had happened. As a result, many more people believed in the Lord Jesus. 43 Peter stayed in Joppa for many days. He stayed with a man called Simon, who was a tanner.[e]
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