New Testament in a Year

8 Paul was in complete agreement with the killing of Stephen.

And a great wave of persecution of the believers began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem, and everyone except the apostles fled into Judea and Samaria. ² (But some godly Jews^[a] came and with great sorrow buried Stephen.) ³ Paul was like a wild man, going everywhere to devastate the believers, even entering private homes and dragging out men and women alike and jailing them.

⁴ But the believers^[b] who had fled Jerusalem went everywhere preaching the Good News about Jesus! ⁵ Philip, for instance, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about Christ. ⁶ Crowds listened intently to what he had to say because of the miracles he did. ⁷ Many evil spirits were cast out, screaming as they left their victims, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed, ⁸ so there was much joy in that city!

^9-11 A man named Simon had formerly been a sorcerer there for many years; he was a very influential, proud man because of the amazing things he could do—in fact, the Samaritan people often spoke of him as the Messiah.^{[c] 12} But now they believed Philip’s message that Jesus was the Messiah, and his words concerning the Kingdom of God; and many men and women were baptized. ¹³ Then Simon himself believed and was baptized and began following Philip wherever he went, and was amazed by the miracles he did.

¹⁴ When the apostles back in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent down Peter and John. ¹⁵ As soon as they arrived, they began praying for these new Christians to receive the Holy Spirit, ¹⁶ for as yet he had not come upon any of them. For they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ When Simon saw this—that the Holy Spirit was given when the apostles placed their hands upon people’s heads—he offered money to buy this power.

¹⁹ “Let me have this power too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”

²⁰ But Peter replied, “Your money perish with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought! ²¹ You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right before God. ²² Turn from this great wickedness and pray. Perhaps God will yet forgive your evil thoughts— ²³ for I can see that there is jealousy^[d] and sin in your heart.”

²⁴ “Pray for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things won’t happen to me.”

²⁵ After testifying and preaching in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem, stopping at several Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News to them too.