Old/New Testament

8 ¹ And Saul was giving-approval to his killing.

The Church Is Persecuted And Driven Out of Jerusalem

And a great persecution came about on that day against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all dispersed^[a] throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. ² And reverent men carried-in Stephen [for burial], and made a loud lamentation over him. ³ And Saul was destroying^[b] the church. Entering from house to house, dragging-away both men and women, he was handing them over to prison. ⁴ So indeed, the ones having been dispersed went about announcing the word as good news.

Philip Proclaims Christ And Does Miracles In Samaria. Many Are Baptized, Including Simon

⁵ Now Philip, having gone down to the city^[c] of Samaria, was proclaiming the Christ to them. ⁶ And the crowds were with-one-accord paying-attention-to^[d] the things being said by Philip, during their hearing and seeing the signs which he was doing. ⁷ For many of the ones having unclean spirits— they were coming out while shouting with a loud voice. And many paralyzed ones and lame ones were cured. ⁸ And there was great joy in that city. ⁹ Now a certain man, Simon by name, was-previously in the city practicing-magic and astonishing the nation of Samaria, saying that he was someone great, ¹⁰ to whom they all, from the small up to the great, were paying attention, saying, “This one is the Power^[e] of God being called ‘Great’”. ¹¹ And they were paying attention to him because he had astonished them for a considerable time with the magic-arts. ¹² And when they believed Philip announcing-the-good-news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were being baptized— both men and women. ¹³ Now Simon himself also believed. And having been baptized, he was attaching-himself to Philip. He was astonished, seeing both signs and great miracles taking place.

Peter and John Come So The Samaritans Might Receive The Holy Spirit

¹⁴ And the apostles in Jerusalem, having heard that “Samaria has accepted the word of God”, sent-forth Peter and John to them— ¹⁵ who, having come down, prayed for them so that they might receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ For He had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ Then they were laying their hands on them, and they were receiving the Holy Spirit. ¹⁸ Now Simon, having seen that the Spirit was given through the laying-on of the hands of the apostles, offered them money, ¹⁹ saying, “Give this authority to me also, so-that on whomever I lay on my hands, he may receive the Holy Spirit”. ²⁰ But Peter said to him, “May your silver be with you for destruction, because you thought to acquire the gift of God with money. ²¹ There is no part nor share for you in this matter. For your heart is not straight before God. ²² Therefore repent from this evilness of yours, and pray to the Lord, if perhaps^[f] the intention of your heart will be forgiven you. ²³ For I see you being in the gall^[g] of ^[h] bitterness and the bond^[i] of ^[j] unrighteousness”. ²⁴ And having responded, Simon said, “You^[k] two pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing of the things which you have spoken may come upon me”. ²⁵ So indeed the ones— having solemnly-testified, and having spoken the word of the Lord— were returning to Jerusalem and announcing-the-good-news-to many villages of the Samaritans.