The Holy New Covenant
2004 by Thomas Hackett
Act 1:1 Dear Theophilus, The first book which I wrote was about everything that Jesus did and taught
Act 1:2 from the beginning until the day when he was carried up into heaven. He talked to the delegates whom he had chosen. Through the Holy Spirit, Jesus told them what they must do.
Act 1:3 After his death he showed that he was alive. Jesus proved this by doing many convincing things. The delegates saw him several times during 40 days. Jesus was talking about the kingdom of God.
Act 1:4 Once, when he was together with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem. He said, "Wait here for the Father’s promise that you heard me talk about.
Act 1:5 John immersed people in water but in a few days you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit."
Act 1:6 The delegates were all together. They asked Jesus, "Lord, is this the time for you to rebuild the kingdom for Israel?"
Act 1:7 Jesus said to them, "The Father is the only One who has the authority to decide such dates and times. It is not for you to know these things.
Act 1:8 However, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power. You will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all of Judea, in Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the world."
Act 1:9 After Jesus said these things, he was lifted up into the sky. While the delegates were watching, Jesus went into a cloud; they could not see him anymore.
Act 1:10 As Jesus was going away, the delegates were staring into the sky. Suddenly, two angels stood beside them. They were dressed in white clothes.
Act 1:11 The two angels said, "Men from the Galilee, why are you standing here looking into the sky? This Jesus, who was carried away from you into heaven, will return in the same way that you saw him go."
Act 1:12 Then the delegates went back to Jerusalem from the Hill of Olives. (This hill is about 1.2km from Jerusalem.)
Act 1:13 The delegates entered the city. They went to the place where they were staying; this was in an upstairs room. The delegates were: Peter, John, Jacob, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, Jacob (the son of Alphaeus), Simon (known as the Revolutionary), Judas (the son of Jacob).
Act 1:14 They were all together. They were constantly praying with the same purpose. Jesus’ brothers, some women, and Mary (the mother of Jesus) were also there.
Act 1:15 During those days there was a meeting. (There were about 120 people present.) Peter stood up among them and said,
Act 1:16 "Brothers and sisters, the Scriptures must come true which the Holy Spirit spoke ahead of time through David’s lips. He was talking about Judas Iscariot who was one of our group; he had a part in this work. The Spirit said that Judas would guide men to arrest Jesus.
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Act 1:18 Judas was paid money for doing this. (However, Judas fell on his head, and his body broke open in the middle. All of his intestines poured out.) His dishonest money was used to buy a field for his body.
Act 1:19 All of the people who lived in Jerusalem learned about this. That is why they named that field Akeldama. (In Aramaic, Akeldama means ‘Blood Land’.)
Act 1:20 In the book of Psalms, this is written about Judas: ‘People should not go near his property; no one should live there!’ and, ‘Let another man take his work of overseeing.’
Act 1:21 "So now, another man must join us and be a witness that Jesus arose from death. This man must be one of those men who was part of our group during the whole time that the Lord Jesus was among us. It is necessary that this man has been with us from the time when John started to immerse people until the day when Jesus was carried away from us to heaven."
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Act 1:23 They found two men. One was Joseph Barsabbas. (He was also called Justus.) The other man was Matthias.
Act 1:24 The delegates prayed, "Lord, You know the hearts of all men. Show us which one of these two men You choose to be a delegate and to do this work. Judas turned away from it and went where he belongs."
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Act 1:26 Then the delegates gave the two men lots. The lots showed that Matthias was the one; therefore he became a delegate like the other eleven.
Act 2:1 When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place.
Act 2:2 Suddenly a noise came from the sky. It sounded like a strong wind blowing. This noise filled the whole house where they were sitting.
Act 2:3 They saw something which looked like flames of fire separating and staying over each one of them.
Act 2:4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak different languages; the Spirit was giving them the power to do this.
Act 2:5 There were some devout Jewish men staying in Jerusalem at this time. These men were from every country in the known world.
Act 2:6 A large group of them came together because they heard the noise. They were confused. The delegates were speaking, and every man heard in his own language.
Act 2:7 The Jewish people were all amazed at this. They did not understand how the delegates could do this. They said, "Look! These men whom we hear speaking are all from the Galilee!
Act 2:8 But each of us is hearing them in our own native language. Among us are:
Act 2:9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, those living in Mesopotamia, from Judea, from Cappadocia, from Pontus, from Asia,
Act 2:10 from Phrygia, from Pamphylia, from Egypt, from parts of Libya around Cyrene, visitors from Rome,
Act 2:11 Cretans, Arabians. Some of us were born Jews. Others are converts to Judaism. We can hear these men in our own languages! We can all understand the wonderful things they are saying about God."
Act 2:12 The people were all amazed but confused. They asked each other, "What does this mean?"
Act 2:13 Other people were laughing at the delegates. They were claiming that the delegates were drunk.
Act 2:14 Then Peter stood up with the other eleven delegates. He spoke loudly — "My Jewish brothers and all of you who are staying in Jerusalem, listen to me. I will tell you something you need to know. Listen carefully.
Act 2:15 These men are not drunk, as you think; it is only nine o’clock in the morning!
Act 2:16 This is the same thing which God said through the prophet Joel:
Act 2:17 "God says: ‘In the last days, I will pour out My Spirit upon all people. Your sons and your daughters will prophesy. Your young men will see visions. Your old men will have special dreams.
Act 2:18 At that time, I will pour out My Spirit upon My slaves, both men and women, and they will prophesy.
Act 2:19 I will show amazing things in the sky above. I will do miracles on the earth below. There will be blood, fire, and thick smoke.
Act 2:20 The sun will be changed into darkness, and the moon will become red like blood. Then the great and glorious day of the Lord will come.
Act 2:21 And every person who trusts in the name of the Lord will be saved.’
Act 2:22 "Men of Israel, listen to these words: Jesus from Nazareth was a very special man. God clearly showed this to you. God proved this by the powerful and amazing things which He did through Jesus among you. You know this is true.
Act 2:23 You killed this man Jesus by handing him over to lawless men. They nailed him to a cross. But God knew ahead of time that all this would occur; it was part of His plan which He made long ago.
Act 2:24 Jesus suffered the pains of death, but God set him free. God raised Jesus up from death. It was impossible for death to hold him.
Act 2:25 "This is what David said about Jesus: ‘I always saw the Lord before me, because He is at my right side to keep me secure.
Act 2:26 So my heart was glad and my mouth spoke with joy. Yes, even my body will live with hope
Act 2:27 because You won’t abandon my soul in death. You will not allow the body of Your Holy One to decay in the grave.
Act 2:28 You taught me how to live. You came near me and I felt great joy.’
Act 2:29 "My Jewish brothers, I can tell you plainly about David, our ancestor. He died and was buried. His grave is still here with us today.
Act 2:30 David was a prophet. God vowed to David that one of his descendants would sit upon David’s throne.
Act 2:31 David knew this before it took place. That is why David said this: ‘He will not be left in death. His body will not decay in the grave.’ David was talking about the Messiah rising from death.
Act 2:32 So Jesus, not David, is the one whom God raised from death! We are all eye-witnesses of this!
Act 2:33 Jesus was lifted up to heaven. Now Jesus is with God — at His right side. The Father has now given the promise of the Holy Spirit to Jesus. So now Jesus poured out this that you see and hear.
Act 2:34 "David did not go up to heaven. It was Jesus. David himself said: ‘The Lord God said to my Lord. "Sit at My right side
Act 2:35 until I put your enemies under your feet."‘
Act 2:36 Therefore all the people of Israel can be sure of this one thing: God has made Jesus both Lord and Messiah, this man whom you nailed to the cross!"
Act 2:37 When the people heard this, they felt a sharp, cutting pain in their conscience. They asked Peter and the other delegates, "What should we do, brothers?"
Act 2:38 Then Peter answered, "Change your hearts and each one of you must be immersed by the authority of Jesus the Messiah so that your sins may be forgiven. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Act 2:39 This promise is for you and for your children. It is also for people who are far away, for everyone whom the Lord our God may call."
Act 2:40 Peter was warning them with many other words; he was encouraging them, saying, "Be saved from this wicked generation of people!"
Act 2:41 Then those people who accepted what Peter said were immersed. On that day about 3,000 people were added to the called out people.
Act 2:42 After this, they dedicated themselves to learning the teaching of the delegates, to sharing with each other, to eating the supper of the Lord, and to prayer.
Act 2:43 God was using the delegates to do many powerful and amazing things; every person felt great respect for God.
Act 2:44 All of the believing ones stayed together. They shared everything.
Act 2:45 They sold their property and the things they owned and they were dividing the money, giving it to anyone who needed it.
Act 2:46 Every day they met together with the same purpose in the temple courtyard. They ate together in their homes, eating their food with joyful hearts. They were very happy.
Act 2:47 They were praising God. All of the people liked them. More and more people were being saved every day; the Lord was adding them to the group of called out people.
Act 3:1 One day Peter and John went up to the temple courtyard. It was three o’clock in the afternoon. (This was the time for prayer.)
Act 3:2 A man was there who had been crippled all his life. He couldn’t walk, so some friends carried him to the temple every day. They put him beside one of the gates outside the temple. It was called Beautiful Gate. There the man begged for money from the people who were going into the temple area.
Act 3:3 When he saw Peter and John about to go in, he began to ask them for money.
Act 3:4 They looked straight at the crippled man and answered, "Look at us!"
Act 3:5 He looked at them thinking that they might give him some money.
Act 3:6 But Peter said, "I do not have any silver or gold, but I do have something else I can give you: by the authority of Jesus the Messiah from Nazareth — walk!"
Act 3:7 Then Peter took hold of the man’s right hand and lifted him up. Immediately the man’s feet and legs became strong.
Act 3:8 He jumped up and stood on his feet and he began to walk around. He went into the temple courtyard with them. He was walking and jumping and praising God.
Act 3:9 All of the people recognized him. The people knew he was the beggar who always sat by the temple’s Beautiful Gate. Now they saw him walking and praising God. They were shocked and amazed. They could not understand how this could have happened.
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Act 3:11 The man was holding onto Peter and John. All of the people were stunned. They ran to Peter and John under Solomon’s Porch.
Act 3:12 When Peter saw this, he said to the people, "Men of Israel, why are you surprised at this? You are staring at us as though our power made this man walk. Do you think this was done because we are good?
Act 3:13 No! God did it! He is the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob — the same God of all our ancestors. He gave glory to Jesus, His special servant, but you handed Jesus over to evil men. You rejected him in front of Pilate after Pilate had already decided to let him go free.
Act 3:14 Jesus was holy and innocent but you said you did not want him. You told Pilate to give you a murderer instead of Jesus.
Act 3:15 And so you killed the one who gives life, but God raised him from death. We saw this with our own eyes.
Act 3:16 "It was the authority of Jesus which made this crippled man well. This happened because we trusted in the power of Jesus. You can see this man and you know him. He was made completely well because of trusting in Jesus. You all saw it happen!
Act 3:17 "My brothers, I know you did those things to Jesus because you did not know what you were doing. Your leaders did not understand either.
Act 3:18 God said that these things would happen. All of the prophets who spoke for God long ago said that His Messiah would suffer and die. I have told you how God made this happen.
Act 3:19 So change your hearts! Come back to God so that He may wipe out your sins.
Act 3:20 Then the Lord will give you times of spiritual rest. He will send you the Messiah — the one appointed —Jesus.
Act 3:21 "But Jesus must stay in heaven until the time when all things will be made whole again. God told about these things long ago when He spoke through His holy prophets.
Act 3:22 Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up a prophet for you who is like me. He will come from among your own people. You must obey everything he tells you.
Act 3:23 If any person does not obey that prophet, he will die, cut off from God’s people.’
Act 3:24 Samuel and all of the other prophets after Samuel who spoke for God talked about these days.
Act 3:25 "You are the sons of the prophets. You have received the covenant which God set up with our ancestors. God said to Abraham, our ancestor, ‘I will bless all nations of the earth. I will use one of your descendants to do this.’
Act 3:26 God has raised up His special servant. God sent him to you first, to bless you by turning each one of you away from doing evil things."
Act 4:1 While Peter and John were speaking to the people, some men came to them. There were some Jewish priests, the officer of the temple police, and some Sadducees.
Act 4:2 They were upset because the two delegates were teaching the people. Peter and John were preaching that people can rise from death through the power of Jesus.
Act 4:3 They arrested Peter and John and put them in jail. It was already evening so they kept Peter and John in jail until the next day.
Act 4:4 But many of the people, who had heard Peter and John preach, believed the things that they said. There were now about 5,000 men in the called out people.
Act 4:5 The next day the Jewish leaders, the elders, and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem.
Act 4:6 Annas (who was the high priest), Caiaphas, John, Alexander and everyone from the high priest’s family were there.
Act 4:7 They made Peter and John stand in the center. The Jewish leaders asked them again and again, "How did you make this crippled man well? What name did you use? By whose authority did you do this?"
Act 4:8 Then Peter was filled with the Holy Spirit. He said to them, "You elders and leaders of the people,
Act 4:9 are you questioning us today about the good thing which was done to this crippled man? Are you asking us who made him well?
Act 4:10 We want all of you and all the people of Israel to know that this man was made well by the authority of Jesus from Nazareth, the Messiah! Although you nailed him to the cross, God raised him from death. This man who was crippled is now well and able to stand here before you because of Jesus!
Act 4:11 Jesus, ‘the stone which you builders thought was worthless, has become the cornerstone.’
Act 4:12 Jesus is the only one who can save people. His authority is the only power given to the world by which we can be saved."
Act 4:13 The Jewish leaders saw that Peter and John were not afraid to speak. They were amazed because they understood that the two men had no education or training. Then they realized that Peter and John had been with Jesus.
Act 4:14 When they saw the man standing there beside the two delegates — that he was healed — they could find nothing to say against the delegates.
Act 4:15 So the Jewish leaders ordered them to go outside. The Jewish Council wanted to talk among themselves.
Act 4:16 They asked, "What shall we do with them? Everyone who lives in Jerusalem knows that these men have performed a great miracle! That is clear. We cannot deny it.
Act 4:17 However, we must make them afraid to talk to anyone about this man. Then this problem will not spread among the people."
Act 4:18 So the Jewish leaders called Peter and John in again. They warned the delegates not to say anything or to teach anything by the authority of Jesus.
Act 4:19 But Peter and John answered them, "What do you think is right? What would God want? Should we obey you or God?
Act 4:20 We are not able to be silent. We must tell people about the things we saw and heard."
Act 4:21 The Jewish leaders could not find a way to punish the delegates because all of the people were praising God for what had been done. (This miracle was a proof from God. The man who was healed was more than 40 years old!) So the Jewish leaders threatened them again and then let them go free.
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Act 4:23 Peter and John left the meeting of the Jewish leaders and went to their own people. They told the group everything which the most important priests and the Jewish elders had said to them.
Act 4:24 When the group heard this, they prayed to God with one purpose, "Master, You are the One who made the land, the sea, the sky, and everything in the world.
Act 4:25 Our ancestor, David, was Your servant. With the help of the Holy Spirit he wrote these words: ‘Why were the nations so mad? Why did the people of the world plan things against God? That is hopeless!
Act 4:26 The kings and the rulers of the earth come together against the Lord God and against His Messiah!’
Act 4:27 These words came true when Herod Antipas, Pontius Pilate, the nations of the world, and the Jewish people all ‘came together’ against Jesus here in Jerusalem. Jesus is Your holy servant, the one You made Messiah.
Act 4:28 These people who ‘came together’ against Jesus made Your plan come true; it happened because of Your power and Your will.
Act 4:29 And now, Lord, listen to what they are saying. They are trying to make us afraid! Lord, we are Your slaves. Help us to speak the things You want us to say without fear.
Act 4:30 Show your power: make sick people well, give proofs, and cause miracles to take place by the power of Jesus, Your holy servant."
Act 4:31 While the called out people were praying, the place where they were meeting shook. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak God’s message without being afraid.
Act 4:32 The called out people were joined in their hearts and they were united in spirit. No one in the group said that the things he had were his own. Instead, they shared everything.
Act 4:33 The delegates used great power to give evidence that the Lord Jesus has been raised from death. All of them felt very thankful for God’s great help in time of need.
Act 4:34 They all received the things they needed. Everyone who owned fields or houses sold them. Then they brought the money
Act 4:35 and gave it to the delegates. Each person was given the things he needed.
Act 4:36 One of the believers was named Joseph. The delegates called him Barnabas. (This name means "a person who encourages others".) He was a Levite, born in Cyprus.
Act 4:37 Joseph owned a field. He sold and brought the money and gave it to the delegates.
Act 5:1 There was a man named Ananias. His wife’s name was Sapphira. Ananias sold some land which he had
Act 5:2 and, from the sale, he gave some of the money to the delegates. But he kept back part of the money for himself. His wife knew this.
Act 5:3 Peter asked him, "Ananias, why did you let Satan fill your heart? You lied to the Holy Spirit. You misused the sale price of the land.
Act 5:4 Before you sold the field, it belonged to you. Even after you sold it, you could have used the money any way you wanted. Why did you think of doing this evil thing? You lied to God, not to men!"
Act 5:5 When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and died. Some young men came and wrapped up his body. Then they carried it out and buried it. Everyone who heard about this was filled with awesome respect.
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Act 5:7 About three hours later, the wife of Ananias came in, but she did not know what had happened to her husband.
Act 5:8 Peter said to her, "Tell me, how much money did you receive for your field? Was it this much?" Sapphira answered, "Yes, that was all we got for the field."
Act 5:9 Peter asked her, "Why did you and your husband agree to test the Spirit of the Lord? Listen! Do you hear those footsteps? The men who buried your husband are at the door! They will carry you out in the same way."
Act 5:10 At that moment Sapphira fell down at Peter’s feet and died. The young men came in and saw that she was dead. The men carried her out and buried her next to her husband.
Act 5:11 The whole called out people and all of the other people who heard about these things were filled with awesome respect.
Act 5:12 The delegates did many miracles and powerful things among the people. The delegates were together in Solomon’s Porch; they all had the same purpose.
Act 5:13 None of the other people dared to join the delegates, but all of the people were saying good things about them.
Act 5:14 And more and more believers, both men and women were added to the Lord.
Act 5:15 People began to bring their sick into the streets. They put their sick on little beds and mattresses for Peter’s shadow to touch them when he came by.
Act 5:16 They were coming from all the towns around Jerusalem. They brought their sick and those who were bothered by evil spirits. All of these people were healed.
Act 5:17 The high priest and all of his friends (a sect called the Sadducees) became very jealous.
Act 5:18 They grabbed the delegates and put them in the public jail
Act 5:19 but, during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the gates of the jail. The angel led the delegates outside and said,
Act 5:20 "Go and stand in the temple courtyard. Tell the people all the words about this Life."
Act 5:21 When the delegates heard this, they went into the temple courtyard. It was early in the morning. The delegates began to teach the people. The high priest and his friends came together. They called a meeting of the Jewish leaders and all the important older men of the sons of Israel. They sent some men to the jail to bring the delegates to them.
Act 5:22 When the guards came to the jail, they could not find the delegates there. So they went back and told this to the Jewish leaders.
Act 5:23 They said, "The jail was shut and locked. The guards were standing at the gates but when we opened the doors, no one was in there!"
Act 5:24 The captain of the temple guards and the most important priests heard this. They were confused. They wondered, "What will happen because of this?"
Act 5:25 Then another man came and told them, "Listen! The men you had put in jail are standing in the temple courtyard. They are teaching the people!"
Act 5:26 Then the captain and his men went out and brought the delegates back. However, the soldiers did not use force because they were afraid of the people. The people might become angry and kill the soldiers with stones.
Act 5:27 The soldiers brought the delegates to the Jewish Council and made them stand before their leaders. The high priest questioned the delegates.
Act 5:28 He said, "We warned you never to teach with this man’s authority, but look what you’ve done! You have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. You are trying to put the blame on us for the death of this man Jesus."
Act 5:29 Peter and the other delegates answered, "We must obey God, not men!
Act 5:30 The God of our ancestors raised up Jesus from death. He is the one you killed, having hung him upon a cross of wood.
Act 5:31 Jesus is the one whom God raised to His right side to be our Leader and Savior. God did this so that Israel could have the opportunity to change their hearts. Then God could forgive their sins.
Act 5:32 We saw all of these things happen. The Holy Spirit has shown you that we are telling you the truth! God has given the Spirit to those who obeyed Him."
Act 5:33 When the Jewish leaders heard these words, they became very angry. They started to make plans to kill the delegates.
Act 5:34 One of the Pharisees in the Jewish Council stood up. His name was Gamaliel. He was a teacher of the law and all of the people respected him. He ordered the men to take the delegates outside for a few minutes.
Act 5:35 Then he said to them, "Men of Israel, be careful of what you are about to do to these men!
Act 5:36 Remember when Theudas appeared? He claimed that he was an important man. About 400 men joined him, but he was killed. And all of the men who followed him were scattered. They were never able to do anything.
Act 5:37 Later, a man named Judas came from the Galilee. It was at the time of the registration. He also led a group of students away but he was destroyed and all his students were scattered.
Act 5:38 So now I tell you: stay away from these men! Leave them alone. If this plan or this effort comes from men, it will fail.
Act 5:39 But if this is from God, then you will not be able to stop them. You might even be fighting against God Himself!" The Jewish leaders then agreed with what Gamaliel said.
Act 5:40 They called in the delegates again. They whipped the delegates and commanded them not to talk to the people ever again about the name of Jesus. After that they let them go free.
Act 5:41 The delegates left the Jewish Council, but they were happy because they were given the honor of suffering dishonor for the name of Jesus.
Act 5:42 The delegates did not stop teaching people. They kept on telling the people the Good News that Jesus is Messiah. Every day they did this in the temple courtyard and in homes.
Act 6:1 More and more people were becoming students of Jesus. But during this same time, the Greek-speaking Jewish students had an argument with the Aramaic-speaking students. They claimed that their widows were not getting their share of the things which the widows received each day.
Act 6:2 The twelve delegates called the whole community of students together. They said to them, "It is wrong for us to quit teaching God’s message to serve tables instead.
Act 6:3 So, brothers, pick out seven of your own men. They must be known to be full of wisdom and full of the Spirit. We will confirm them to be over this work.
Act 6:4 Then we will use all of our time to pray and to teach the message of God."
Act 6:5 The whole community liked this idea. So they chose these men: Stephen (a man of great faith and full of the Holy Spirit), Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas (a man from Antioch who had become a Jew).
Act 6:6 Then they put these men before the delegates who prayed and placed their hands on them.
Act 6:7 God’s message was influencing more and more people. The community of students in Jerusalem became larger and larger. Even many of the Jewish priests were obedient to the faith.
Act 6:8 Since Stephen was full of God’s help in time of need and power, he was working miracles among the people to show great proofs from God.
Act 6:9 But some Jews stood up and argued with Stephen. They were from a house of worship called "A house of worship for Freed Men." (This house of worship was also for Jews from the cities of Cyrene and Alexandria.) Jews from Cilicia and Asia were with them. They all came and argued with Stephen
Act 6:10 but the Spirit was helping Stephen speak with wisdom. His words were so powerful that the Jews could not argue with him.
Act 6:11 So they secretly paid some men to say, "We heard Stephen say some evil things against Moses and against God!"
Act 6:12 In this way they stirred up the people, the Jewish elders, and the teachers of the law. They became so angry that they came and grabbed Stephen. Then they took him to the Jewish Council.
Act 6:13 They brought some men into the meeting. These men were told to tell lies about Stephen. The men said, "This man always says things against this holy place and against the law of Moses.
Act 6:14 We heard him say that Jesus from Nazareth will destroy this place. He also said that Jesus would change the customs which Moses passed down to us."
Act 6:15 Everyone sitting in the Jewish Council stared at Stephen. They saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.
Act 7:1 Then the high priest asked Stephen, "Are these things true?"
Act 7:2 Stephen answered, "My Jewish fathers and brothers, listen to me. Our glorious God appeared to Abraham, our ancestor, while he was in Mesopotamia. This was before he lived in Haran.
Act 7:3 God said to Abraham, ‘Leave your country and your relatives! Go to another country. I will show you where to go.’
Act 7:4 "So Abraham left the country of Chaldea and went to live in Haran. After Abraham’s father died, God sent him to this same land where you live now.
Act 7:5 But God did not give Abraham any of this land — not even a foot of it! God promised that in the future He would give this land to Abraham and his descendants; it would belong to them. (This was before Abraham had any children.)
Act 7:6 This is what God said to him: ‘Your descendants will live as strangers in another country. The people there will make them slaves and do evil things to them for 400 years.
Act 7:7 I will judge that nation which will make them slaves.’ And God also said, ‘After those things happen, your children will come out of that country to worship Me in this place.’
Act 7:8 God set up a covenant with Abraham; the sign was circumcision. And so when Abraham had a son, Abraham circumcised him when he was eight days old. His son’s name was Isaac. Isaac also circumcised his son Jacob and Jacob did the same for his sons. These sons later became the twelve fathers.
Act 7:9 "These fathers, Joseph’s brothers, became jealous of him. They sold Joseph to be a slave in Egypt; but God was with him.
Act 7:10 Joseph had many troubles there but God rescued him from them all. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, liked Joseph and respected him because of the wisdom and help in time of need which God gave Joseph. Pharaoh gave Joseph the job of being governor of Egypt. He even allowed Joseph to rule over all the people in Pharaoh’s house.
Act 7:11 But the whole land of Egypt and the land of Canaan became dry. It became so dry that crops could not grow there. This made the people suffer terribly. Our ancestors could find nothing to eat.
Act 7:12 But Jacob heard that there was wheat stored in Egypt. So he sent our ancestors there. (This was their first trip to Egypt.)
Act 7:13 "Then they went there a second time. On this visit, Joseph told his brothers who he was. And Pharaoh learned about Joseph’s family.
Act 7:14 Then Joseph sent some men to invite Jacob, his father, to come to Egypt. He also invited all of his relatives (75 persons altogether).
Act 7:15 So Jacob went down to Egypt. He and our ancestors died there.
Act 7:16 Later their bodies were moved to Shechem. They were placed in a grave there. (It was the same grave in Shechem that Abraham had bought from the sons of Hamor. He paid them with silver.)
Act 7:17 "In Egypt, our nation grew larger in number. (The promise which God made to Abraham was soon to come true.) There were more and more of our people in Egypt.
Act 7:18 Then a different king began to rule over Egypt. He knew nothing about Joseph.
Act 7:19 He persecuted our ancestors; he forced them to put their babies outdoors to die.
Act 7:20 During this time Moses was born. He was no ordinary baby. For three months they took care of Moses in his father’s house.
Act 7:21 When they put Moses outside, Pharaoh’s daughter took him in. She raised him as if he were her own son.
Act 7:22 The Egyptians taught Moses everything they knew. He was powerful in the things he said and did.
Act 7:23 "When Moses was about 40 years old, he thought it would be good to visit his brothers, the sons of Israel.
Act 7:24 One day Moses saw an Egyptian man doing wrong to a Hebrew brother. So he defended him. Moses punished the Egyptian for hurting that brother. Moses hit the Egyptian so hard that the man died.
Act 7:25 Moses was thinking his brothers would understand that God was using him to save them, but they did not understand.
Act 7:26 The next day Moses saw two of the sons of Israel fighting. He tried to make peace between them. He said, ‘Men, you are brothers! Why are you doing wrong to one another?’
Act 7:27 The man who was doing wrong to the other man pushed Moses away. He said to Moses, ‘Who made you our ruler and judge?
Act 7:28 Do you want to kill me as you killed the Egyptian man yesterday?’
Act 7:29 When Moses heard him say this, he ran away from Egypt. He went to live in the land of Midian where he was a stranger. While he lived there, he had two sons.
Act 7:30 "After 40 years Moses was in the desert on Mount Sinai. An angel appeared to him in the flame of a burning bush.
Act 7:31 When Moses saw this, he was amazed. He went nearer to look at it more closely. He heard a Voice; it was the Lord’s.
Act 7:32 The Lord God said, ‘I am the same God of your ancestors — the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob.’ Moses began to shake with fear. He was afraid to look at the bush.
Act 7:33 The Lord said to him, ‘Take off your shoes, because the place where you are now standing is holy ground.
Act 7:34 I have seen My people suffer much in Egypt. I have heard My people moaning. I have come down to rescue them. And now, Moses, I am sending you back to Egypt.’
Act 7:35 "This Moses was the same man the people of Israel had rejected. They had asked him, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge over us?’ Moses is the same man whom God sent to be a ruler and deliverer. God sent Moses with the help of an angel. This was the angel that Moses saw in the burning bush.
Act 7:36 "So Moses led the people out. He did powerful things and miracles in Egypt, at the Red Sea, and in the desert for 40 years.
Act 7:37 This is the same Moses who said these words to the sons of Israel: ‘God will raise up for you a prophet who is like me. He will come from among your own brothers.’
Act 7:38 This is the same Moses who was with the called out people in the desert at Mount Sinai. He was with the angel that spoke to him and with our ancestors. There at Mount Sinai Moses received commands from God which still live. Moses gave us these commands.
Act 7:39 "But our ancestors did not want to obey Moses. They rejected him. In their hearts, they wanted to go back to Egypt.
Act 7:40 Our ancestors said to Aaron, ‘Make us some gods to lead us! Moses brought us out of Egypt but we do not know what has happened to him.’
Act 7:41 So the people made an idol which looked like a calf. Then they brought sacrifices to it. The people were very happy with what they had made with their own hands!
Act 7:42 But God turned against them. He stopped trying to change their hearts. They were worshipping the sun, the moon, and the stars. This is what is written in the writings of the prophets; God says: ‘People of Israel, you killed animals and offered sacrifices in the desert for 40 years, but these sacrifices were not for Me.
Act 7:43 You carried with you the tent for Moloch and the image of the star of your god, Rephan — statues which you made to worship. So I will send you away beyond Babylon.’
Act 7:44 "God spoke to our ancestors in a special tent; it was with the people in the desert. God commanded Moses how to make this tent. He made it like the pattern which God showed him.
Act 7:45 Later, Joshua led our fathers to capture the lands of the other nations. Our people went in and God drove those people out. When our people went into this new land, they took this same tent with them. They had received it from their ancestors. They kept it until the time of David.
Act 7:46 "God was very pleased with David. David asked God to allow him to build a house for Him, the God of Jacob,
Act 7:47 but Solomon was the one who actually built it.
Act 7:48 However, the Highest One does not live in houses which men build with their hands. This is what the prophet Isaiah wrote:
Act 7:49 ‘The Lord God says, "Heaven is My throne. The earth is a place to rest My feet. What kind of house could you build for Me? There is no place where I need to rest!
Act 7:50 Remember, I made all these things!"‘"
Act 7:51 Stephen continued speaking: "You stubborn leaders! Your hearts are not circumcised! You won’t listen to God! You are always against what the Holy Spirit is trying to tell you. Your ancestors did this, and you are just like them!
Act 7:52 Your ancestors persecuted every prophet who ever lived. Those prophets said long ago that the one that is right would come, but your ancestors killed the prophets. And now you have turned against this one that is right and murdered him.
Act 7:53 You are the people who received the law of Moses, the commands which God gave through the angels — but you do not obey the law!"
Act 7:54 When the Jewish leaders heard Stephen say these things, they became very angry. They were so mad that they were grinding their teeth at Stephen.
Act 7:55 Stephen was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked up into the sky and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right side.
Act 7:56 He said, "Look! I see heaven open. And I see the Son of Man standing at God’s right side!"
Act 7:57 Then they all shouted with a loud voice. They covered their ears with their hands. Together they all ran at Stephen.
Act 7:58 They took him out of the city to stone him to death. The men, who told lies against Stephen, gave their robes to a young man named Saul.
Act 7:59 They began to throw stones at Stephen but Stephen was praying. He said, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"
Act 7:60 He fell on his knees and shouted this: "Lord, don’t blame them for this sin!" After Stephen said that, he died. Saul approved of the killing of Stephen.
Act 8:1 Some good men buried Stephen. They cried very loudly for him. On that day there was a fierce attack on the called out people in Jerusalem. Saul was also trying to destroy them. He even went into their homes. He dragged out men and women and put them in jail. All of the called out people had to leave Jerusalem; only the delegates stayed there. They all went to different places in Judea and Samaria.
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Act 8:4 They were scattered everywhere. And everywhere they went, they told people The Word.
Act 8:5 Philip went to the city of Samaria. He was preaching about Messiah.
Act 8:6 The crowds there heard Philip and they saw the miracles that he was doing. With a single purpose they all listened very carefully to the things Philip said.
Act 8:7 Many of these people had evil spirits. The spirits came out of them; they made a loud noise. There were also many paralyzed and crippled people. Philip healed them.
Act 8:8 This made the people in that city very happy.
Act 8:9 However, there was in that city a man named Simon who did magic tricks before Philip came. He amazed all the people of Samaria with these tricks. Simon boasted and called himself a great man.
Act 8:10 All of the people — the least important and the most important — had listened closely to Simon. The people said, "This man is the power of God which is called ‘The Great Power’!"
Act 8:11 Simon had amazed the people with his magic tricks for so long that the people became his students.
Act 8:12 But Philip told the people the Good News about the kingdom of God and the authority of Jesus the Messiah. Men and women believed Philip and were immersed.
Act 8:13 Simon himself also believed and was immersed. Simon stayed near Philip. He saw the miracles and the very powerful things which Philip did. Simon was amazed.
Act 8:14 The delegates were still in Jerusalem. They heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message. So the delegates sent Peter and John to the people in Samaria.
Act 8:15 When Peter and John arrived, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.
Act 8:16 (These people had been immersed by the authority of the Lord Jesus, but the Holy Spirit had not yet come down on any of them.)
Act 8:17 The two delegates put their hands on the people. Then the people received the Holy Spirit.
Act 8:18 Simon saw that the gifts of the Spirit were given to people when the delegates put their hands on them. So Simon offered the delegates some money.
Act 8:19 Simon said, "Give me this power so that when I put my hands on a person, he will receive the Holy Spirit."
Act 8:20 Peter said to Simon, "You and your money should both be destroyed! You thought you could buy God’s gift with money.
Act 8:21 Your heart is not right before God. You cannot have a part with us or a share in this work.
Act 8:22 Change your heart! Turn away from this evil thing which you have done. Pray to the Lord God. Perhaps He will forgive you for thinking this in your heart.
Act 8:23 I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and bound by sin."
Act 8:24 Simon answered, "Both of you pray to the Lord God for me! Pray that the things you have said will not happen to me!"
Act 8:25 Then the two delegates told the people the things which they had seen Jesus do. The delegates preached the message of the Lord. Then they went back to Jerusalem. On the way they went through many Samaritan villages and preached the Good News to the people.
Act 8:26 An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip. The angel said, "Get ready and go south. Go to the road which leads down to the town of Gaza from Jerusalem — the road that is not used much now."
Act 8:27 So Philip got ready and went. On the road he saw a man from the country of Ethiopia. This man was an important eunuch in the service of Candace, the queen of the Ethiopians. He was responsible for taking care of all her money. This man had gone to Jerusalem to worship.
Act 8:28 Now he was on his way home. He was sitting in his chariot and reading from the book of Isaiah, the prophet.
Act 8:29 The Spirit said to Philip, "Go to that chariot and stay near it."
Act 8:30 So Philip ran toward it, and he heard the man reading aloud. He was reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked him, "Do you understand what you are reading?"
Act 8:31 The man answered, "How can I understand? I have no one to explain it to me?" Then he invited Philip to climb in and sit with him.
Act 8:32 He was reading this part of Scripture: "He was like a sheep when it is taken away to be killed. He was like a lamb, which makes no sound when someone cuts off its wool.
Act 8:33 He was shamed; all his rights were taken away. His life on earth was ended. There will be no story about his descendants."
Act 8:34 The officer asked Philip, "Please tell me, whom is the prophet talking about? Is he talking about himself or about someone else?"
Act 8:35 Philip began to speak. He started with this same Scripture and told the man the Good News about Jesus.
Act 8:36 While they were traveling down the road, they came to some water. The officer said, "Look! Here is water! What is stopping me from being immersed?"
Act 8:37 And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he answered, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God."
Act 8:38 Then the officer gave a command for the chariot to stop. Both Philip and the officer went down into the water, and Philip immersed him.
Act 8:39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord took Philip away; the officer did not see him. The officer continued on his way home. He was very happy.
Act 8:40 Philip appeared in a town called Azotus. He was preaching the Good News about Jesus in all the towns along the way from Azotus to Caesarea.
Act 9:1 In Jerusalem, Saul was still trying to scare the students of the Lord Jesus, threatening to kill them. So he went to the high priest.
Act 9:2 Saul asked him to write letters to the Jews of the houses of worship in the city of Damascus. Saul wanted the authority to find people in Damascus who were students of the Way. If he found any there, men or women, he would tie them up and bring them back to Jerusalem.
Act 9:3 So Saul went to Damascus. When he came near the city, a bright light from the sky suddenly shined all around him.
Act 9:4 Saul fell to the ground. He heard a voice saying to him: "Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?"
Act 9:5 Saul asked, "Who are you, Sir?" The voice answered, "I am Jesus. I am the one you are persecuting.
Act 9:6 Get up now and go into the city. Someone there will tell you what you must do."
Act 9:7 The men traveling with Saul stood there. They said nothing. The men heard the voice but they saw no one.
Act 9:8 Saul got up from the ground. He opened his eyes but he could not see anything. So the men with Saul held his hand and led him into Damascus.
Act 9:9 For three days Saul could not see; he did not eat or drink.
Act 9:10 There was a student of Jesus in Damascus. His name was Ananias. The Lord Jesus spoke to Ananias in a vision, saying: "Ananias!" Ananias answered, "Here I am, Lord."
Act 9:11 The Lord said to Ananias, "Get up and go to Straight Street. Find the house of Judas. Ask for a man named Saul from the city of Tarsus. He is there now, praying.
Act 9:12 In a vision a man named Ananias came to him and put his hands on him so that he could see again."
Act 9:13 But Ananias answered, "Lord, many people have told me about this man Saul. They told me about how many terrible things he did to your saints in Jerusalem.
Act 9:14 Now he has come to Damascus. The ruling priests have given him the authority to arrest all people who trust in your name."
Act 9:15 But the Lord Jesus said to Ananias, "Go! I have chosen Saul for an important work. He will carry my name to kings, to the Jewish people, and to other nations.
Act 9:16 I will show Saul the things he must suffer for my name."
Act 9:17 So Ananias left and went to the house of Judas. He put his hands on Saul and said, "Saul, my brother, the Lord Jesus sent me. He is the one you saw on the road when you came here. He sent me so that you may see again and so that you may be filled with the Holy Spirit."
Act 9:18 Immediately something which looked like fish scales fell off Saul’s eyes. Saul could see again! He got up and was immersed.
Act 9:19 Then he ate some food and began to feel strong again. Saul stayed with the students of Jesus in Damascus for a few days.
Act 9:20 Very soon he began to preach about Jesus in the houses of worship, "Jesus is the Son of God!"
Act 9:21 Everyone who heard Saul was surprised. They were saying, "This is the same man who was in Jerusalem. He was trying to destroy the people who trust in this name! He had come here to do the same thing, to arrest the students of Jesus and take them back to Jerusalem to the ruling priests."
Act 9:22 But Saul became more and more powerful. He proved that Jesus is the Messiah. His proofs were so strong that the Jewish leaders who lived in Damascus did not know how to answer him.
Act 9:23 After many days the Jewish leaders made plans to kill Saul.
Act 9:24 The Jews were watching the city gates day and night. They wanted to kill him, but Saul learned about their plan.
Act 9:25 One night some students, whom Saul had taught, helped him leave the city. The students put him in a basket. Then they lowered him down through a hole in the city walls.
Act 9:26 Then Saul went to Jerusalem. He was trying to join the group of students but they were all afraid of him; they did not believe that Saul truly was a student of Jesus.
Act 9:27 But Barnabas accepted him and brought him to the delegates. Barnabas told them that Saul had seen the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus. He explained to the delegates how the Lord had spoken to Saul. Then he told them how, in Damascus, Saul had preached to the people in the name of the Lord without fear.
Act 9:28 And so Saul stayed with the students. He went everywhere in Jerusalem preaching with the authority of the Lord Jesus without being afraid.
Act 9:29 Saul often talked with the Jewish people who spoke Greek. He had arguments with them so they were trying to kill him.
Act 9:30 When the brothers learned about this, they took Saul to the city of Caesarea. From Caesarea they sent Saul to the city of Tarsus.
Act 9:31 Everywhere in Judea, the Galilee, and Samaria, God’s called out people had a time of peace. With the help of the Holy Spirit, the community became stronger and stronger. They showed that they had awesome respect for the Lord by the way they lived. Because of this, the called out people grew larger and larger.
Act 9:32 Peter was traveling through all of the towns around Jerusalem. He visited the saints who lived in the town of Lydda.
Act 9:33 In Lydda he met a paralyzed man named Aeneas. Aeneas had not been able to leave his bed for the past eight years.
Act 9:34 Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed! You can do this for yourself now!" Aeneas got up immediately.
Act 9:35 All of the people living in Lydda and on the Plain of Sharon saw him. These people turned to the Lord Jesus.
Act 9:36 In the town of Joppa there was a student of Jesus named Tabitha (in Aramaic). (Her Greek name, Dorcas, means "a deer".) She always did good things for people. She always gave to people in need.
Act 9:37 While Peter was in Lydda, Tabitha became sick and died. They washed her body and put it in an upstairs room.
Act 9:38 The students in Joppa heard that Peter was in Lydda. (Lydda is near Joppa.) So they sent two men to Peter. They begged him, "Hurry, please come quickly!"
Act 9:39 Peter got ready and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the upstairs room. All of the widows stood around Peter. They were crying. They showed him the shirts and robes which Dorcas had made while she was still alive.
Act 9:40 Peter sent everyone out of the room. He kneeled down and prayed. Then he turned to Tabitha’s body and said, "Tabitha, get up!" She opened her eyes. When she saw Peter, she sat up.
Act 9:41 He gave her his hand and helped her stand up. Then he called the saints and the widows into the room. He showed them Tabitha; she was alive!
Act 9:42 People everywhere in Joppa learned about this. Many of these people believed in the Lord Jesus.
Act 9:43 Peter stayed in Joppa for many days. He stayed with a man named Simon who was a leather-worker.
Act 10:1 In the city of Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius. He was an officer in the "Italian" regiment of the Roman army.
Act 10:2 Cornelius was a good man. He and everyone who lived in his home had awesome respect for the true God. He gave much of his money to the poor people. Cornelius always prayed to God.
Act 10:3 One afternoon about three o’clock, Cornelius clearly saw a vision. In the vision an angel of God came to him and said, "Cornelius!"
Act 10:4 Cornelius stared at the angel. He became afraid and asked, "What do you want, sir?" The angel said to Cornelius, "God has heard your prayers. He has seen your gifts to the poor people. God has not forgotten the things you have done.
Act 10:5 Send some men now to the town of Joppa. Send for a man named Simon. He is also called Peter.
Act 10:6 Simon is staying with another man named Simon, who is a leather-worker. He has a house beside the sea."
Act 10:7 The angel who spoke to Cornelius left. Then Cornelius called two of his household slaves and a soldier. This soldier was a good man. They always stayed close to Cornelius.
Act 10:8 Cornelius explained everything to these three men. Then he sent them to Joppa.
Act 10:9 The next day these men came near Joppa. At that time Peter was going up to the roof to pray. It was about noon.
Act 10:10 Peter was hungry and wanted to eat. But while they were preparing the food for Peter to eat, a vision came to him.
Act 10:11 He saw something coming down through the open sky. It looked like a big sheet coming down to the ground. It was being lowered to the ground by its four corners.
Act 10:12 Every kind of animal was in it — animals which walk on four feet, animals which crawl on the ground, and birds which fly in the air.
Act 10:13 Then a Voice said to Peter, "Get up, Peter; kill any one of these animals and eat it."
Act 10:14 But Peter said, "I would never do that, Lord! I have never eaten food which is unholy or not pure."
Act 10:15 But the voice said to him the second time, "God has made these things pure. Do not call them ‘unholy’!"
Act 10:16 This happened a third time. Then the whole thing was taken back up into the sky immediately.
Act 10:17 Peter was wondering what this vision meant. Then the men whom Cornelius had sent found Simon’s house. They were standing at the gate.
Act 10:18 They asked, "Is Simon Peter staying here?"
Act 10:19 While Peter was still thinking about the vision, the Spirit said to him, "Listen, three men are looking for you.
Act 10:20 Get up and go downstairs. Go with these men and do not have any doubts. I have sent them to you."
Act 10:21 So Peter went downstairs to the men. He said, "I am the man you are looking for. Why did you come here?"
Act 10:22 The men answered, "A holy angel told Cornelius to invite you to his house. Cornelius is a Roman army officer. He is a good man; he has awesome respect for the true God. All of the Jewish people respect him. The angel told Cornelius to invite you to his house so that he may listen to the words you have to say."
Act 10:23 Peter asked the men to come in and stay for the night. The next day Peter got ready and went away with the three men. Some of the Jewish brothers from Joppa went with Peter.
Act 10:24 The next day they came into the city of Caesarea. Cornelius was waiting for them. He had already called in his relatives and close friends.
Act 10:25 When Peter entered the house, Cornelius met him. Cornelius fell down at Peter’s feet and worshipped him.
Act 10:26 But Peter made him get up. Peter said, "Stand up! I am only a man, like you."
Act 10:27 Peter continued talking with Cornelius. Then Peter went inside and saw a large group of people there.
Act 10:28 Peter said to them, "You people understand that it is forbidden for a Jewish man to associate with or visit any non-Jewish person. But God has shown me that I should not call any person ‘unholy’ or ‘unclean’.
Act 10:29 That is why I did not argue when the men invited me to come here. Now please tell me why you sent for me."
Act 10:30 Cornelius said, "Four days ago I was fasting. It was at this same time, three o’clock in the afternoon, when I was praying. Suddenly there was a man standing before me. He was dressed in shining clothes.
Act 10:31 The man said, ‘Cornelius! God has heard your prayer. He has seen your gifts to the poor people. God has not forgotten the things you have done.
Act 10:32 So send someone to the city of Joppa. Ask Simon Peter to come. Peter is staying in the house of another man named Simon, who is a leather-worker. His house is beside the sea.’
Act 10:33 So I sent for you immediately. It was very good of you to come here. Now we are all here in the presence of God. We want to hear everything that the Lord has commanded you to tell us."
Act 10:34 Peter began to speak, "Now I understand! God treats everyone the same.
Act 10:35 God accepts any person who worships Him and does what is right. It does not matter what race a person comes from.
Act 10:36 God has spoken to the sons of Israel. He sent them the message, that peace has come through Jesus the Messiah, who is the Lord of all men!
Act 10:37 You know what occurred all over Judea. It began in the Galilee after John preached to the people about immersion.
Act 10:38 You know about Jesus from Nazareth. God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and power. Jesus went everywhere doing good things for people. He healed everyone who was ruled by the devil. God was with Jesus.
Act 10:39 We saw all of the things that he did in Judea and in Jerusalem. But Jesus was killed; they put him on a cross made of wood.
Act 10:40 "However, on the third day after his death, God raised Jesus to life! God allowed a few people to see him clearly.
Act 10:41 Jesus was not seen by all of the people; only the witnesses whom God had already chosen — they saw him. We are those witnesses! We ate and drank with Jesus after he was raised from death.
Act 10:42 Jesus commanded us to preach to the people. He told us to tell them that he is the one whom God chose to be the judge of all people, living or dead.
Act 10:43 Every person who commits himself to Jesus will be forgiven through the authority of Jesus. All of the prophets say that this is true..."
Act 10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came upon all those people who were listening to his speech.
Act 10:45 The Jewish believers who came with Peter were amazed. They were shocked because the gift of the Holy Spirit was poured out on people who were not Jewish.
Act 10:46 These Jewish believers heard them speaking different inspired languages and praising God. Then Peter said,
Act 10:47 "Can we refuse to allow these people to be immersed in water? They have received the Holy Spirit the same as we did!"
Act 10:48 So Peter commanded that Cornelius and his relatives and friends be immersed by the authority of Jesus the Messiah. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for a few days.
Act 11:1 The delegates and the brothers in Judea heard that non-Jewish people had also accepted God’s message.
Act 11:2 However, there were some Jewish believers who argued with Peter when he came back to Jerusalem.
Act 11:3 They said, "You went into the homes of men who are not Jewish! You even ate with them!"
Act 11:4 Then Peter began to explain the whole story to them.
Act 11:5 He said, "I was in the town of Joppa. While I was praying, a vision came to me. In the vision I saw something coming down from the sky. It looked like a big sheet. It was being lowered to the ground by its four corners. It came down and stopped very near to me.
Act 11:6 After staring, I looked inside it and I saw animals, both tame and wild. I saw animals which crawl and birds which fly in the air.
Act 11:7 I heard a voice say to me, ‘Get up, Peter. Kill any of these animals and eat!’
Act 11:8 But I said, ‘I would never do that, Lord! I have never eaten anything that is unholy or not pure.’
Act 11:9 But the voice from the sky answered a second time, ‘God has made these things pure. Do not call them unholy!’
Act 11:10 This happened a third time. Then the whole thing was pulled back up into the sky.
Act 11:11 "Suddenly three men came to the house where I was staying. These three men were sent to me from the city of Caesarea.
Act 11:12 The Spirit told me to go along with them without doubts. These six brothers here also went with me. We went into the house of Cornelius.
Act 11:13 Cornelius told us about the angel that he had seen standing in his house. The angel said to him, ‘Send someone to Joppa. Invite Simon Peter to come.
Act 11:14 He will tell you words by which you and everyone in your group will be saved.’
Act 11:15 "After I began my speech, the Holy Spirit came upon them, the same as He did upon us in the beginning.
Act 11:16 Then I remembered the words of the Lord Jesus when he used to say: ‘John immersed people in water, but you will be immersed in the Holy Spirit!’
Act 11:17 God gave the same gift to these people that He gave to us who believed in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah. So could I stop God?"
Act 11:18 When the group heard these things, they stopped arguing. They gave glory to God and said, "Then God is allowing non-Jewish people to change their hearts and have life too!"
Act 11:19 The believers were scattered by the persecution which occurred after Stephen was killed. Some of the believers went to places far away, like Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch in Syria. They told the message in these places, but they told it only to Jews.
Act 11:20 However, some of these believers came to the city of Antioch. They were men from Cyprus and Cyrene. These men were also talking to non-Jews, telling them the Good News, that Jesus is Lord.
Act 11:21 The Lord was helping the believers. A large group of people believed and turned to the Lord.
Act 11:22 The called out people which were in Jerusalem heard about them in Antioch in Syria. So they sent Barnabas to Antioch.
Act 11:23 Barnabas was a good man. He was full of the Holy Spirit and full of faith. When Barnabas went to Antioch, he saw how much God had blessed them with help in time of need. This made him very happy. He began to encourage all the believers in Antioch. He told them, "Never lose your faith. Always obey the Lord with all your hearts." A large number of people became students of the Lord Jesus.
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Act 11:25 Then Barnabas left for the city of Tarsus. He was looking for Saul.
Act 11:26 When he found Saul, Barnabas brought him to Antioch. Saul and Barnabas taught a large crowd. For a whole year they met with the called out people. In Antioch, the students were called "Christ-like people" for the first time.
Act 11:27 About that same time, some prophets went down from Jerusalem to Antioch.
Act 11:28 Agabus stood up and spoke. With the help of the Holy Spirit, he said, "A very bad time is coming to the whole world. There will be very little food for people to eat." (This famine occurred during the time when Claudius was Caesar.)
Act 11:29 The students of Jesus decided that they would all try to help their brothers and sisters who lived in Judea. Each of them planned to send as much as they could.
Act 11:30 They gathered the money and gave it to Barnabas and Saul. Then Barnabas and Saul brought it to the elders.
Act 12:1 During that same time, King Herod Agrippa I began to persecute some members of the called out people.
Act 12:2 He ordered that Jacob be killed with a sword. (Jacob was the brother of John.)
Act 12:3 Herod saw that the Jewish leaders liked this. So he decided to arrest Peter too. (This happened during the time of the Feast of Unleavened Bread.)
Act 12:4 Herod had Peter arrested and put in jail. He turned Peter over to a group of 16 soldiers to guard him. Herod wanted to wait until after the Passover Festival. Then he planned to bring Peter before the people.
Act 12:5 So Peter was kept in jail, but the called out people were constantly praying to God for Peter.
Act 12:6 Peter was sleeping between two of the soldiers. He was bound with two chains. More soldiers were guarding the jail entrance. It was at night and Herod planned to bring Peter out to the people the next day.
Act 12:7 Suddenly an angel of the Lord stood there. A light shined in the cell. The angel touched Peter on the side and woke him up. The angel said, "Hurry, get up!" Then the chains fell off of Peter’s hands.
Act 12:8 The angel said to Peter, "Get dressed and put your shoes on." So Peter did this. Then the angel said, "Put on your robe and follow me."
Act 12:9 Then the angel went out and Peter followed. Peter did not know if the angel was really doing this. He kept thinking that he might be seeing a vision.
Act 12:10 Peter and the angel went past the first guard and the second guard. Then they came to the iron gate which separated them from the city. The gate opened for them by itself. Peter and the angel went through it and walked about a block. Then the angel suddenly left.
Act 12:11 Then Peter realized what had happened. He thought, "Now I know that the Lord really did send his angel to me. He rescued me from Herod and everything which the Jewish people were expecting."
Act 12:12 When Peter realized this, he went to Mary’s house. She was the mother of John. (John was also called Mark.) Many people were gathered there; they were all praying.
Act 12:13 Peter knocked on the outside door. A servant girl named Rhoda came to answer it.
Act 12:14 Rhoda recognized Peter’s voice. She was so happy she even forgot to open the door. Instead, she ran inside and told the group, "Peter is at the door!"
Act 12:15 They said to Rhoda, "You are crazy!" But she kept insisting that it was true. So they said, "It must be Peter’s angel."
Act 12:16 Peter continued to knock. When they opened the door, they saw Peter. They were amazed.
Act 12:17 Peter made a sign with his hand to tell them to be quiet. He explained to them how the Lord led him out of jail. He said, "Tell Jacob and the other brothers what happened." Then Peter left to go to another place.
Act 12:18 The next day the soldiers were very upset. They wondered what had happened to Peter.
Act 12:19 Herod looked everywhere for Peter but could not find him. Herod asked the guards many questions and tortured them. Then he gave the order that the guards be killed. Later, Herod left Judea. He went down to the city of Caesarea and stayed there for a while.
Act 12:20 Herod was very angry with the people from the cities of Tyre and Sidon. However, they were able to get Blastus on their side. (Blastus was the king’s personal servant.) They came to Herod with one purpose in mind: they wanted peace, because their country needed food from Herod’s country.
Act 12:21 Herod decided on a day to meet with them. On that day Herod was wearing a beautiful royal robe. He sat on his throne and made a speech to the people.
Act 12:22 The people shouted, "This is not a man; it is the voice of a god!"
Act 12:23 But Herod did not give the glory to God. So an angel of the Lord caused him to become sick. He was soon eaten by worms inside of him and he died.
Act 12:24 The message of God was spreading and influencing more and more people.
Act 12:25 After Barnabas and Saul finished their work in Jerusalem, they returned to Antioch. John Mark went along with them.
Act 13:1 In the called out people at Antioch in Syria, there were some prophets and teachers. They were: Barnabas, Simeon (also called Black), Lucius (from the city of Cyrene), Manaen (who had grown up with Herod Antipas, the ruler), and Saul.
Act 13:2 They were all serving the Lord and fasting. The Holy Spirit said to them, "Appoint Barnabas and Saul for My service; I have chosen them to do a special work."
Act 13:3 So they fasted and prayed. They put their hands on Barnabas and Saul and sent them out.
Act 13:4 Barnabas and Saul were sent out by the Holy Spirit. They went to the city of Seleucia. Then they sailed from Seleucia to the island of Cyprus.
Act 13:5 When Barnabas and Saul came to the city of Salamis, they were preaching God’s message in the Jewish houses of worship. (John Mark went along to help them.)
Act 13:6 They went across the whole island to the town of Paphos. In Paphos, they met a Jewish man who did tricks of magic. His name was Barjesus. He said he was a prophet, but he was not.
Act 13:7 Barjesus always stayed closed to Sergius Paulus, the governor. Sergius Paulus was a wise man. He asked Barnabas and Saul to come to him; he wanted to hear God’s message.
Act 13:8 But Elymas, the magician, (the name for Barjesus in the Greek language) opposed Saul and Barnabas. Elymas tried to turn the governor away from the faith.
Act 13:9 However, Saul was filled with the Holy Spirit. (Saul’s other name was Paul.) Paul looked straight at Elymas
Act 13:10 and said, "You son of the devil! You are an enemy of everything which is right! You are full of evil tricks and lies. You always try to turn the Lord’s truths into lies!
Act 13:11 Now the Lord will touch you and you will be blind. For a time you won’t be able to see the light which comes from the sun." Then everything quickly became dark for Elymas. He walked around lost, trying to find someone to lead him by the hand.
Act 13:12 When the governor saw this, he believed. He was amazed at the teaching of the Lord.
Act 13:13 Paul and those who were with him sailed away from Paphos. They came to Perga, a town in Pamphylia. But John Mark left them; he went back home to Jerusalem.
Act 13:14 They continued their trip from Perga and went to Antioch, a city in Pisidia. In Antioch, on the Sabbath day, they went into the Jewish house of worship and sat down.
Act 13:15 The law of Moses and the writings of the prophets were read. Then the leaders of the house of worship sent a message to Paul and Barnabas: "Brothers, if you have something to say which will help the people here, please speak."
Act 13:16 Paul stood up. He raised his hand and said, "Men of Israel, and you other people who have awesome respect for the true God, please listen to me!
Act 13:17 The God of our people, Israel, chose our ancestors. God made His people great during the time that they lived in Egypt as strangers. God brought them out of that country with great power.
Act 13:18 For 40 years in the desert God was patient with them.
Act 13:19 He destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, giving their land to His people.
Act 13:20 "All of this happened in about 450 years. After this, God gave judges to our people until the time of Samuel, the prophet.
Act 13:21 Then the people asked for a king. God gave them Saul, the son of Kish. Saul was from the tribe of Benjamin. He was king for 40 years.
Act 13:22 After God removed Saul, He made David their king. God vouched for David: ‘David, the son of Jesse, is the man I like. He will do all the things I want him to do.’
Act 13:23 God has brought one of David’s descendants to Israel to be their Savior; he is Jesus. God had promised to do this.
Act 13:24 "Before Jesus came, John preached to all the people of Israel. John told the people to change their hearts and to be immersed.
Act 13:25 As John was finishing his work, he always used to say, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the Messiah. He is coming later. I’m not worthy to untie his shoes!’
Act 13:26 "My brothers, sons in the family of Abraham, and you non-Jews who also have awesome respect for the true God, listen! The news about this safety from danger has been sent to us.
Act 13:27 The Jews living in Jerusalem and the Jewish leaders did not realize it. The words that the prophets wrote about the Messiah were read to the Jews every Sabbath day, but they did not understand. The Jewish leaders condemned the Messiah. When they did this, they made the words of the prophets come true!
Act 13:28 They could not find any real reason why he should die, yet they asked Pilate to kill him.
Act 13:29 These Jews did all the things that the Scriptures said about him. Then they took him down from the cross of wood and put him in a tomb.
Act 13:30 But God raised him up from death!
Act 13:31 "After this, for many days, Jesus was seen by the people who had gone with him from the Galilee to Jerusalem. They are now his witnesses to the people.
Act 13:32 We are telling you the Good News: God made a promise to our fathers. We are their descendants and God has made this promise come true for us. God did this by raising Jesus from death. We also read about this in Psalm 2: ‘You are My Son. Today I have become your Father.’
Act 13:33 <>
Act 13:34 "God raised Jesus from death. Jesus will never go back to the grave and decay. So God said: ‘I will give you the sure and holy promises which I made to David.’
Act 13:35 But in another place God says: ‘You will not let the body of Your Holy One decay in the grave.’
Act 13:36 But David did God’s will during his own generation. Then he died. David was buried with his fathers and his body did decay!
Act 13:37 However, the one whom God raised from death did not decay!
Act 13:38 "Brothers, you must understand what we are telling you: you can have forgiveness of your sins through this man. The law of Moses could not make you right with God, but everyone who believes is made right.
Act 13:39 <>
Act 13:40 The prophets said something would take place. Be careful! Don’t let this happen to you:
Act 13:41 ‘Look, you people who doubt! Wonder and die! During your time, I will do something which you will not believe. You would not believe it even if someone were to explain it to you!’"
Act 13:42 While Paul and Barnabas were leaving the house of worship, the people were begging them to come back on the next Sabbath day and tell them more about these things.
Act 13:43 After the meeting, many converts to the Jewish faith (who worshipped the true God) and many of the Jews followed Paul and Barnabas. Paul and Barnabas were persuading them to continue living in the help in time of need of God.
Act 13:44 On the next Sabbath day almost all the people in the city came together to hear the message of the Lord.
Act 13:45 The Jewish leaders saw the crowds there. So they became very jealous. They said some terrible things and argued against the words which Paul said.
Act 13:46 But Paul and Barnabas were very bold. They said, "It was necessary that we speak God’s message to you Jews first, but you will not listen. You are deciding that you are unworthy of having eternal life! Therefore we will now go to the people of other nations!
Act 13:47 This is what the Lord God commanded us to do: ‘I have made you a light for other nations so that you may show the way of safety from danger to people all over the world.’"
Act 13:48 When the non-Jewish people heard Paul say this, they were happy. They gave honor to the Lord’s message, and many of the people believed the message. These were the people appointed to have eternal life.
Act 13:49 And so the message of the Lord was spreading through the whole country.
Act 13:50 But the Jewish leaders stirred up some of the important religious women and the leaders of the city to oppose Paul and Barnabas. They were angry. These people persecuted them and threw them out of town.
Act 13:51 So Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off their feet. Then they went to the town of Iconium.
Act 13:52 The students of Jesus in Antioch were happy and full of the Holy Spirit.
Act 14:1 When Paul and Barnabas went to the town of Iconium, they entered the Jewish house of worship. (This is what they did in every town.) They spoke to the people there in such a way that many Jews and non-Jews believed what they said.
Act 14:2 However, some of the Jews did not believe. These Jews stirred up the non-Jewish people and made them persecute the brothers.
Act 14:3 The Lord helped Paul and Barnabas to be bold, and they stayed in Iconium a long time. Paul and Barnabas preached boldly for the Lord. The Lord was proving what they said was true; He helped them do miracles and wonders.
Act 14:4 But some of the people in the town agreed with the Jews; other people in the town believed Paul and Barnabas — so the town was divided.
Act 14:5 Some non-Jewish people, some Jews and their Jewish leaders tried to hurt Paul and Barnabas. These people wanted to stone them to death.
Act 14:6 When Paul and Barnabas learned about this, they left that town. They went to Lystra and Derbe, towns in Lycaonia, and to the surrounding area.
Act 14:7 They told the Good News there too.
Act 14:8 In Lystra there was a man whose feet were paralyzed. He had been born crippled; he had never walked. This man was sitting there
Act 14:9 and listening to Paul speak. Paul looked straight at him. Paul saw that the man believed that God could heal him.
Act 14:10 So Paul shouted, "Stand up on your feet!" The man jumped up and began walking around.
Act 14:11 When the crowd saw what Paul did, they shouted in their own Lycaonian language. They said, "The gods have become like men! They have come down to us!"
Act 14:12 The people began to call Barnabas "Zeus". They called Paul "Hermes" because he was the main speaker.
Act 14:13 The temple of Zeus was near the town. The priest of this temple brought some bulls and flowers to the town gates. The priest and the crowds wanted to give an offering to worship Paul and Barnabas.
Act 14:14 But when the delegates, Barnabas and Paul, understood what the people were doing, they ripped their own clothes. Then they ran in among the crowd and shouted to them,
Act 14:15 "Men, why are you doing these thing? We are not gods! We have the same feelings you have! We came to tell you the Good News. We are telling you to turn away from these worthless things. Turn to the true living God. He is the One who made the land, the sea, the sky, and everything which is in them.
Act 14:16 In the past, God let all the nations do what they wanted.
Act 14:17 But God did things to prove that He is real: He does good things for you. He gives you rain from the sky and good harvests at the right times. He gives you plenty of food and fills your hearts with joy."
Act 14:18 Paul and Barnabas told the crowds these things. The people still wanted to offer sacrifices to worship them, but Paul and Barnabas stopped them.
Act 14:19 Then some Jews came from Antioch in Pisidia and Iconium. They persuaded the people to oppose Paul. And so the people stoned Paul and dragged him out of the town. The people thought that they had killed him.
Act 14:20 The students of Jesus gathered around Paul and he got up and went back into town. The next day he and Barnabas left and went to the town of Derbe.
Act 14:21 Paul and Barnabas told the Good News in the town of Derbe too. Many people became students of Jesus. Paul and Barnabas went back to the towns of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pisidia.
Act 14:22 In those cities they made the students of Jesus stronger. They helped them to stay in the faith. They said, "We must suffer many things on our way into God’s kingdom."
Act 14:23 They appointed elders in every called out group. They fasted and prayed for these men. These men had put their trust in the Lord Jesus. So Paul and Barnabas put them in the Lord’s care.
Act 14:24 Paul and Barnabas went through the country of Pisidia. Then they came to the country of Pamphylia.
Act 14:25 They preached the Word in the town of Perga and then they went down to the town of Attalia.
Act 14:26 And from there Paul and Barnabas sailed away to Antioch in Syria. This is the city where they had begun this work. They had sent them out with God’s help in time of need. Now their trip was over.
Act 14:27 When Paul and Barnabas arrived, they gathered the called out people together. Paul and Barnabas told them all about the things which God had done with them. They said, "God opened the door of faith so that non-Jewish people could believe too!"
Act 14:28 They stayed there a long time with the students of Jesus.
Act 15:1 Then some men came down to Antioch in Syria from Judea. They began teaching non-Jewish brothers: "You cannot be saved if you are not circumcised. Moses told us to do it."
Act 15:2 Paul and Barnabas were very opposed to this teaching. They argued with these men about it. So the group decided to send Paul, Barnabas, and some other men to Jerusalem. These men were going there to talk more about this issue with the delegates and elders.
Act 15:3 The called out people helped the men with what they needed for the trip. These men went through the provinces of Phoenicia and Samaria. In these countries they told all about how non-Jewish people had turned to the true God. This made all the brothers very happy.
Act 15:4 Paul, Barnabas, and the others arrived in Jerusalem. The delegates, the elders, and the entire called out people welcomed them. Paul, Barnabas, and the others told about all the things which God had done with them.
Act 15:5 Some of the believers in Jerusalem had belonged to the Pharisee sect. They stood up and claimed, "The non-Jewish believers must be circumcised. We must command them to obey the law of Moses!"
Act 15:6 Then the delegates and the elders gathered to study this problem.
Act 15:7 There was a long debate. Then Peter stood up and said to them, "My brothers, I know you remember what happened in the early days. At that time God chose me from among you to preach the Good News to non-Jewish people and they believed it.
Act 15:8 God knows the hearts of all men and He accepted these non-Jewish people. He showed this to us by giving them the Holy Spirit too.
Act 15:9 God did the same thing for them that He did for us. When they made a commitment, God made their hearts pure.
Act 15:10 "So now why are you testing God? You are putting a heavy load around the necks of the non-Jewish students. Neither we nor our ancestors were strong enough to carry it!
Act 15:11 No, we believe that both we and these people will be saved by the help in time of need of the Lord Jesus!"
Act 15:12 Then the whole group became quiet. They were listening to Paul and Barnabas tell all the miracles and wonders that God did through them among non-Jewish people.
Act 15:13 After a time of silence, Jacob spoke. He said, "My brothers, listen to me.
Act 15:14 Simon Peter has told us how God showed His concern for non-Jewish people. For the first time, God accepted non-Jewish people and made them His own people.
Act 15:15 The written words of the prophets agree with this too:
Act 15:16 ‘I will return later. I will build David’s house again. It has fallen down but I will build it up again. I will restore it.
Act 15:17 Then all men can look for the Lord God. All the other nations will search for Him. They can be My people too. The Lord God said this.’ And He is the One who does all these things.
Act 15:18 These things have been known from the beginning of time.
Act 15:19 "So I think we should not bother non-Jewish brothers who have turned to God.
Act 15:20 Instead, we should write them a letter to tell them these things: ‘Do not eat food which has been given to idols. Do not commit any kind of unlawful sexual intercourse. Do not eat animals which have been strangled. Do not taste blood.’
Act 15:21 There are those in every town who teach the law of Moses. The words of Moses have been read in the house of worship every Sabbath day for generations long past."
Act 15:22 The delegates, the elders, and the whole group of called out people wanted to send some men with Paul and Barnabas to Antioch in Syria. The called out community decided to choose some of their own men. They chose Judas, Barsabbas, and Silas. These men were respected by the brothers in Jerusalem.
Act 15:23 The called out people sent the letter with these men. The letter said: "From the delegates and elders, your brothers. To all non-Jewish brothers in the city of Antioch and in the countries of Syria and Cilicia: "Dear Brothers,
Act 15:24 We have heard that some men have come to you from our community. The things they said have troubled and upset you, but we did not tell them to do this!
Act 15:25 We have all agreed to choose some men and send them to you. They are with Barnabas and Paul, to whom we give ourselves, for their good, expecting nothing in return.
Act 15:26 Paul and Barnabas have given their lives to serve the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Act 15:27 So we have sent Judas and Silas with them. They will tell you the same things.
Act 15:28 "The Holy Spirit thinks you should have no more burdens. We agree. You only need to do these things:
Act 15:29 Do not eat any food which has been given to idols. Do not taste blood. Do not eat any animals which have been strangled. Do not commit unlawful sexual intercourse. If you stay away from these things, you will do well. Now we say goodbye."
Act 15:30 So Paul, Barnabas, Judas, and Silas left Jerusalem. They went down to Antioch in Syria. They gathered the called out people and gave them the letter.
Act 15:31 When they read it, they were happy. It encouraged them.
Act 15:32 Judas and Silas were prophets too. They said many things to help the brothers and make them stronger.
Act 15:33 After Judas and Silas stayed there for a while, they left with a blessing of peace from the brothers. Judas went back to the brothers in Jerusalem who had sent them.
Act 15:34 But Silas decided to stay there.
Act 15:35 But Paul and Barnabas were staying on in Antioch. They and many others were preaching and teaching the people the word of the Lord.
Act 15:36 A few days later, Paul said to Barnabas, "We spoke the Lord’s message in many towns. We should go back to all of those towns to visit the brothers and see how they are doing."
Act 15:37 Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark along with them too.
Act 15:38 But John Mark had left them at Pamphylia; he did not continue with them in the work. So Paul did not think it was such a good idea to take him along.
Act 15:39 Paul and Barnabas had a sharp disagreement about this. They separated and went different ways. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to the island of Cyprus.
Act 15:40 Paul chose Silas to go with him. The brothers in Antioch put Paul into the Lord’s help in time of need and sent him out.
Act 15:41 Paul and Silas went through the countries of Syria and Cilicia, helping the called out people grow stronger.
Act 16:1 Paul went to the towns of Derbe and Lystra. A student of Jesus named Timothy was there. Timothy’s mother was a Jewish believer. His father was not a Jew.
Act 16:2 The brothers in the towns of Lystra and Iconium respected Timothy. They said good things about him.
Act 16:3 Paul wanted Timothy to travel with him, but all of the Jewish people living in that area knew that Timothy’s father was not Jewish. Therefore, Paul took Timothy and circumcised him to please the Jews.
Act 16:4 Then Paul and Timothy were traveling through other towns. They gave the believers the rules and decisions from the delegates and elders in Jerusalem. Paul and Timothy told the believers to obey these rules.
Act 16:5 So the called out people were becoming stronger in the faith and they were growing every day.
Act 16:6 Paul and Timothy went through the countries of Phrygia and Galatia. The Holy Spirit did not allow them to preach the Good News in the country of Asia.
Act 16:7 They went near the land of Mysia. They wanted to go into the country of Bithynia but the Spirit of Jesus did not let them go in.
Act 16:8 So they passed by Mysia and went down to the city of Troas.
Act 16:9 That night Paul saw a vision. In this vision a man from the country of Macedonia appeared to Paul. The man stood there begging him, "Come across to Macedonia. Help us!"
Act 16:10 After Paul had seen the vision, immediately we prepared to leave for Macedonia. We understood that God had called us to tell the Good News to those people.
Act 16:11 We left Troas by ship and sailed to the island of Samothrace. The next day we sailed to the town of Neapolis.
Act 16:12 Then we went to Philippi. Philippi is an important city in that part of Macedonia. It is a city for Romans. We stayed there for a few days.
Act 16:13 On the Sabbath day we went through the city gate to the river. At the river we thought we might find a special place for prayer. Some women had gathered there. So we sat down and talked with them.
Act 16:14 There was a woman named Lydia from the city of Thyatira. Her job was selling purple cloth. She worshipped the true God. Lydia listened to Paul. The Lord opened her heart and she believed the things which Paul said.
Act 16:15 She and all of the people living in her house were immersed. Then Lydia invited us into her home. She said, "If you think I am truly faithful to the Lord Jesus, then come stay in my house." She persuaded us.
Act 16:16 Once we were going to the place for prayer. A slave-girl met us. She had an evil spirit in her. This spirit gave her the power to tell what would happen in the future. By doing this she earned a lot of money for the men who owned her.
Act 16:17 This girl followed Paul and us everywhere. She said loudly, "These men are slaves of the Highest God! They are telling you how you can be saved!"
Act 16:18 She continued doing this for many days. This bothered Paul, so he turned and said to the spirit, "By the authority of Jesus Christ, I order you to come out of her!" At that moment the spirit came out.
Act 16:19 The men who owned the slave-girl saw this. These men knew that they could no longer use her to make money. So they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them into the meeting place of the city. The city officials were there.
Act 16:20 The men brought Paul and Silas to the leaders and said, "These men are Jews who are making trouble in our city.
Act 16:21 They are telling the people to do things which are not right for us. We are Roman citizens and cannot do these things."
Act 16:22 The crowd was against Paul and Silas. Then the leaders tore off the clothes of Paul and Silas and ordered some men to beat them with rods.
Act 16:23 The men beat them many times. Then the leaders threw Paul and Silas in jail. The leaders commanded the jailer, "Guard them very carefully!"
Act 16:24 The jailer heard this special order. So he put Paul and Silas into the inner prison far inside the jail. He locked their feet in wooden stocks.
Act 16:25 About midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs to God. The other prisoners were listening to them.
Act 16:26 Suddenly there was a great earthquake. It was so strong that it shook the foundations of the jail. Then all the doors of the jail quickly opened. All prisoners were freed from their chains.
Act 16:27 The jailer woke up. He saw that the jail doors were open. He thought that the prisoners had escaped. So the jailer took his sword and was ready to kill himself.
Act 16:28 But Paul shouted, "Do not hurt yourself! We are all here!"
Act 16:29 The jailer told someone to bring a light. Then he ran inside. He was shaking. He fell down in front of Paul and Silas.
Act 16:30 Then he brought them outside and asked, "Men, what must I do to be saved?"
Act 16:31 They said to him, "Commit yourself to the Lord Jesus and you will be saved — you and all the people living in your house."
Act 16:32 So Paul and Silas told the story of the Lord Jesus to the jailer and to all the people in his house.
Act 16:33 It was late at night, but the jailer took Paul and Silas and washed their wounds. The jailer and all of his people were immersed right away.
Act 16:34 After this, the jailer took Paul and Silas and gave them some food. All of the people were very happy because they now trusted in God.
Act 16:35 The next morning, the leaders sent some soldiers to tell the jailer this: "Let these men go free!"
Act 16:36 The jailer said to Paul, "The leaders have sent these soldiers to set you free. You may leave now. Go in peace."
Act 16:37 But Paul said to the soldiers, "Your leaders did not prove that we did anything wrong, yet they beat us in public and put us in jail. We are Roman citizens. Now the leaders want to make us go away quietly. No! The leaders must come and bring us out!"
Act 16:38 The soldiers told the leaders what Paul had said. When the leaders heard that Paul and Silas were Roman citizens, they were afraid.
Act 16:39 So the leaders came and told Paul and Silas how sorry they were. The leaders led them out of jail and kept asking them to leave the city.
Act 16:40 But when they came out of the jail, they went to Lydia’s house. They saw some of the brothers there and encouraged them. Then Paul and Silas left.
Act 17:1 Paul and Silas traveled through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia. Then they came to the city of Thessalonica. In that city there was a Jewish house of worship.
Act 17:2 According to Paul’s custom, he went to them in this house of worship, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures.
Act 17:3 Paul explained and clearly showed that the Messiah must die and then rise from death. Paul said, "This Jesus, whom I announce to you, is the Messiah!"
Act 17:4 Some of the Jews believed Paul and Silas and joined them. There were many Greeks among them.. They worshipped the true God. There were also many important women. They joined Paul and Silas too.
Act 17:5 But the Jews who did not believe became jealous. They hired some evil men from the city to gather many people and make trouble in the city. The people went to Jason’s house looking for Paul and Silas. The men wanted to bring them out to the people.
Act 17:6 But the group didn’t find them. So the people dragged Jason and some of the other brothers to the leaders of the city. The people all cried out, "These men have made trouble everywhere in the world. And now they have come here too!
Act 17:7 Jason is keeping them in his house. All of them do things against the laws of Caesar. They say that there is another king named Jesus."
Act 17:8 The leaders of the city and the crowd heard these things. They became very upset.
Act 17:9 They made Jason and the other brothers post bond. Then they let them go free.
Act 17:10 That same night the brothers sent Paul and Silas to another town named Berea. In Berea Paul and Silas went to the Jewish house of worship.
Act 17:11 These Jews were better people than the ones in Thessalonica. These Jews were very happy to listen to the things which Paul and Silas said. They wanted to know whether these things were true or not. They studied the Scriptures every day.
Act 17:12 Many of these Jews believed. Many important Greek men and women also believed.
Act 17:13 But when the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was telling God’s message in Berea, they came to Berea too. The Jews from Thessalonica made the people in Berea upset and they caused trouble.
Act 17:14 So the believers quickly sent Paul away to the sea, while Silas and Timothy stayed in Berea.
Act 17:15 The brothers who went with Paul took him to the city of Athens. These brothers carried a message from Paul back to Silas and Timothy. It said, "Come to me as soon as you can!"
Act 17:16 Paul was waiting for Silas and Timothy in Athens. Paul felt deeply troubled because he saw that the city was full of idols.
Act 17:17 In the house of worship Paul debated with the Jews and the Greeks who worshipped the true God. Every day he also debated with some people in the business district of the city, with people who just happened to be there.
Act 17:18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers argued with him. Some of them said, "This man doesn’t really know what he is talking about. What is he trying to say?" Paul was telling them the Good News about Jesus rising from death. So they said, "He seems to be telling us about some other gods."
Act 17:19 They got Paul and took him to a meeting of the Areopagus Council. They said, "Please explain to us this new idea which you have been teaching.
Act 17:20 The things that you are saying are so new to us. We have never heard these things before. We want to know what this teaching means."
Act 17:21 (All the people of Athens and the people from other countries who lived there always used their time to talk about any new idea.)
Act 17:22 Then Paul stood before the meeting of the Areopagus Council. Paul said, "Men of Athens, I can see that you are very religious in all things.
Act 17:23 I was going through your city and I saw the things you worship. I found an altar which had these words written on it: TO THE GOD WHO IS NOT KNOWN. You worship a God you do not know. This is the God I am telling you about!"
Act 17:24 "He is the God who made the whole world and everything in it. He is the Lord of the heavens and the earth. He does not live in temples which men build!
Act 17:25 This God is the One who gives men life, breath, and everything else. He is not served by human hands; God has everything He needs.
Act 17:26 "God started with one man. He made all the different people in the world to live everywhere. God decided exactly when and where they must live.
Act 17:27 He wanted the people to look for Him. Perhaps they could search all around for Him and find Him — He is not far from any of us:
Act 17:28 ‘In Him we live, we walk, we are.’ Some of your own writers have said: ‘For we are God’s children.’
Act 17:29 Therefore we are God’s children. So you must not think that God is something like what man imagines or makes out of silver or stone.
Act 17:30 "In the past, although man did not understand God, God ignored this, but now God calls every person in the world to change his heart.
Act 17:31 God has set a day when He will judge the whole world. He will be fair, using a man to do this. He chose this man a long time ago. God proved it to everyone by raising that man from death!"
Act 17:32 When the people heard about Jesus rising from death, some of them began to laugh at Paul. The people said, "We will hear more about this from you later."
Act 17:33 Paul left them.
Act 17:34 However, some of the people did believe Paul and joined him. One of them was Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus Council. Another was a woman named Damaris. There were some others too.
Act 18:1 Later, Paul left Athens and went to the city of Corinth.
Act 18:2 In Corinth he met a Jewish man named Aquila. Aquila was born in the country of Pontus. Aquila and his wife, Priscilla, had recently moved to Corinth from Italy. They left Italy because Claudius the Emperor had commanded all Jews to get out of Rome. Paul went to visit Aquila and Priscilla.
Act 18:3 They were tentmakers, the same as Paul. Paul was staying there and working with them.
Act 18:4 Every Sabbath day Paul debated with the Jews and Greeks in the house of worship. He tried to persuade them to believe.
Act 18:5 Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia to Paul in Corinth. After this, Paul used all his time to tell people the Word of God. He showed the Jews that Jesus is Messiah.
Act 18:6 But the Jews would not accept Paul’s teaching. They said some terrible things. So Paul shook off the dust from his clothes. He said to the Jews, "If you are not saved, it will be your own fault! I have done all that I can do! After this I will go to non-Jewish people!"
Act 18:7 Paul left the house of worship and moved into the home of Titius Justus. This man worshipped the true God. His house was next door to the house of worship.
Act 18:8 Crispus was the leader of that house of worship. Crispus and all of the people who were living in his house trusted in the Lord Jesus. Many other people in Corinth also listened to Paul. They too believed and were immersed.
Act 18:9 Paul had a vision during the night. The Lord said to him, "Don’t be afraid! Keep on talking to people; don’t be quiet!
Act 18:10 I am with you. No one will be able to hurt you. I have many people in this city."
Act 18:11 Paul stayed there for a year and a half, teaching God’s message to the people.
Act 18:12 Some of the Jews came together with only one thing in mind — to stop Paul. They took him to court. Gallio had become the governor of the country of Achaia.
Act 18:13 The Jews said to Gallio, "This man is influencing people to worship God in a way that is against our law!"
Act 18:14 Paul was ready to say something, but Gallio spoke to the Jews. Gallio said, "I would listen to you Jews if you were complaining about a terrible crime or some wrong.
Act 18:15 But the things you are claiming are only questions about words and names — arguments about your own law. You must solve this problem yourselves. I do not want to be a judge over these matters."
Act 18:16 Then Gallio made them leave the courtroom.
Act 18:17 So they all grabbed Sosthenes. (Sosthenes was now leader of the house of worship.) They were beating him in front of the courthouse, but this did not bother Gallio at all.
Act 18:18 Paul stayed with the brothers for many days. Then he left and sailed for Syria. Priscilla and Aquila were also with him. At Cenchrea, Paul cut off his hair. This showed that he had made a vow to God. They arrived in Ephesus.
Act 18:19 Then he left Priscilla and Aquila and went into the house of worship and debated with the Jews.
Act 18:20 The Jews asked Paul to stay longer but he said no.
Act 18:21 As Paul was leaving them, he said, "I will come to you again if God wants me to." And so Paul sailed away from Ephesus.
Act 18:22 Paul went down to the city of Caesarea. Then he went up and greeted the called out people in Jerusalem. After that he went down to the city of Antioch in Syria.
Act 18:23 Paul stayed in Antioch for a while. Then he left Antioch and went through the countries of Galatia and Phrygia. He traveled from town to town in these areas. He made all of the students of Jesus stronger.
Act 18:24 A Jewish man named Apollos came to Ephesus. Apollos was born in the city of Alexandria. He was an educated man. His knowledge of the Scriptures was very powerful.
Act 18:25 He had been taught the way of the Lord Jesus. Apollos was always very enthusiastic when he talked to people about Jesus. The things he taught about Jesus were correct, but the only immersion that he knew was the immersion which John taught.
Act 18:26 Apollos began to speak very boldly in the house of worship. Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak. They took him home and helped him understand the way of God better.
Act 18:27 Apollos wanted to go to the country of Achaia. So the brothers in Ephesus helped pay his expenses. They wrote a letter to the students of Jesus in Achaia. In the letter they asked them to accept Apollos. The students of Jesus in Achaia had believed in Jesus through God’s help in time of need. When Apollos went there, he helped them very much.
Act 18:28 He argued very convincingly in public against the Jews. Apollos clearly proved that they were wrong. He used the Scriptures to show that Jesus is the Messiah.
Act 19:1 While Apollos was in the city of Corinth, Paul was visiting some places along the northern route to the city of Ephesus. In Ephesus Paul found some students of John.
Act 19:2 Paul asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" These students answered him, "We have never even heard of a Holy Spirit!"
Act 19:3 Paul asked, "What immersion did you receive?" "John’s immersion," they replied.
Act 19:4 Paul said, "John immersed people after they changed their hearts. John told people to trust in the one who would come after him. That person is Jesus."
Act 19:5 When these students of John heard this, they were immersed by the authority of the Lord Jesus.
Act 19:6 Then Paul put his hands on them and the Holy Spirit came upon them. They began speaking different inspired languages and prophesying.
Act 19:7 In this group there were about twelve men.
Act 19:8 Paul went into the house of worship and began to speak very boldly. Paul did this for three months. He debated with the Jews and he tried to persuade them to believe in the kingdom of God
Act 19:9 but some of the Jews became stubborn. They refused to believe. They said some terrible things about the Way. The people heard these things. So Paul left and took the students of Jesus with him. He went to a place where a man named Tyrannus had a school. There he reasoned with people every day.
Act 19:10 He did this for two years. Because of this work, every Jew and Greek in the country of Asia heard the message of the Lord.
Act 19:11 God was using Paul to perform some very unusual miracles.
Act 19:12 Some people carried handkerchiefs and clothes which Paul had worn. The people put these things on sick people. When they did this, the sick people were healed and evil spirits left them.
Act 19:13 Some wandering Jews were also trying to make evil spirits go out of people. The seven sons of Sceva were doing this. (Sceva was an important Jewish priest.) These Jews were using the name of the Lord Jesus to do this. They all said, "By the same Jesus whom Paul proclaims, I order you to come out!"
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Act 19:15 One time an evil spirit said to these Jews, "Jesus I know, and Paul I am acquainted with, but who are you?"
Act 19:16 Then the man who had the evil spirit jumped on these Jews. He was much stronger than they were. He beat them up and tore off their clothes. They ran away from that house.
Act 19:17 All of the people who lived in Ephesus, Jews and Greeks, learned about this. They all began to have awesome respect for the true God. The people were giving more and more honor to the name of the Lord Jesus.
Act 19:18 Many of the believers began to admit all of the evil things they had done.
Act 19:19 Some of the believers had used magic. These believers brought their books of evil magic and burned them up before everyone. Those books were worth hundreds of kilograms of silver.
Act 19:20 This is how the message of the Lord was influencing more and more people in a powerful way.
Act 19:21 After these things, Paul made plans to go to Jerusalem. Paul planned to go through the countries of Macedonia and Achaia, and then go to Jerusalem. Paul thought, "After I visit Jerusalem, I must also visit Rome."
Act 19:22 Timothy and Erastus were two of Paul’s helpers. Paul sent them ahead to the country of Macedonia but he stayed in Asia for a while.
Act 19:23 However, during that time, there was some bad trouble in Ephesus. It was about the Way. This is how it all happened:
Act 19:24 there was a man named Demetrius, a silver-worker. He made little silver models which looked like the temple of the goddess Artemis. The men who did work like this made lots of money from it.
Act 19:25 Demetrius had a meeting with some other men who did the same kind of work. Demetrius told them, "Men, you know that we make a lot of money from our business.
Act 19:26 But Paul has influenced many people. He has done this in Ephesus and all over the whole country of Asia! Look at what this man Paul is doing! Listen to what he is saying! He says that the gods which men make are fake.
Act 19:27 This might turn the people against. our work But there is also another danger: people will begin to think that the temple of the great goddess Artemis is not important! Her greatness will be destroyed. Artemis is the goddess that everyone in Asia and the whole world worships."
Act 19:28 When the men heard this, they became very angry. The men shouted, "Artemis, the goddess of the city of Ephesus, is great!"
Act 19:29 All the people in the city became very upset. The people grabbed Gaius and Aristarchus, men from Macedonia. (These men always traveled with Paul.) Then all the people ran together to the stadium with a single purpose.
Act 19:30 Paul wanted to go in and talk to the people but the students of Jesus wouldn’t let him go.
Act 19:31 Also, some leaders of the country were friends of Paul. These leaders sent him a message, begging him not to come into the stadium.
Act 19:32 Some people were yelling one thing and others were yelling something else. The meeting was very confused. Most of the people didn’t even know why they had come there.
Act 19:33 The Jews had a man stand before the people. His name was Alexander. The Jews told him what to do. Alexander waved his hand because he wanted to explain things to the people.
Act 19:34 But when the people realized that Alexander was a Jew, they all continued shouting together for two hours. They shouted, "Great is Artemis of Ephesus! Great is Artemis of Ephesus...!"
Act 19:35 Then the main city official made the crowd be quiet. He said, "Men of Ephesus, everyone knows that Ephesus is the city which keeps the temple of the great goddess, Artemis, and her holy rock.
Act 19:36 No one can say that this is not true. So you should be quiet. You must stop and think before you do anything wrong.
Act 19:37 They have not stolen anything from her temple or said anything bad about her.
Act 19:38 We have courts of law and there are judges. Do Demetrius and those men who work with him have a charge against anyone? They should go to the courts! That is where they can accuse each other!
Act 19:39 "Is there anything else you want to talk about? Then come to the regular town meeting of the people. It can be decided there.
Act 19:40 I say this because someone might see this trouble today and say that we were rioting. We could not explain all of this trouble because there is no real reason for this mob."
Act 19:41 After the official said these things, he told the people to go home. Then all of the people left.
Act 20:1 When the trouble stopped, Paul invited the students of Jesus to come visit him. He wanted to encourage them. Then Paul said goodbye and left. He went to the country of Macedonia.
Act 20:2 He encouraged the students in the different places on his way through Macedonia. He told the students many things. Then Paul went to Achaia.
Act 20:3 He stayed there three months. He was ready to sail for Syria but some Jews were planning something evil against him. So Paul decided to go back to Syria through Macedonia.
Act 20:4 Some men were with him. They were: Sopater (the son of Pyrrhus, from the town of Berea), Aristarchus and Secundus (from the city of Thessalonica), Gaius (from the town of Derbe), Timothy, Tychicus and Trophimus (from Asia).
Act 20:5 They went first, ahead of Paul. They were waiting for us in the city of Troas.
Act 20:6 We sailed from the city of Philippi after the Jewish Festival of Unleavened Bread. We met these men in Troas five days later. We stayed there for seven days.
Act 20:7 On the first day of the week, we all met together to eat the supper of the Lord. Paul was talking with the group. He was ready to leave the next day. Paul continued his speech until midnight.
Act 20:8 There were many torches in the room where we were gathered. The room was upstairs.
Act 20:9 There was a young man named Eutychus sitting in the window. As Paul talked on and on, Eutychus became sleepier and sleepier. Finally Eutychus went to sleep and fell out of the window. He fell to the ground from the third floor. When they got to him, he was dead.
Act 20:10 Paul went down to Eutychus. He kneeled down and hugged him. Paul said to the others, "Don’t worry. He is alive now."
Act 20:11 They brought the young man inside. He was alive and they were very much comforted. Paul went upstairs again. After he broke off some of the bread and ate it, Paul spoke to them a long time. When he finished talking, it was early morning.
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Act 20:13 We sailed for the town of Assos. We went first, ahead of Paul. He planned to meet us in Assos and join us on the ship there. Paul told us to do this because he wanted to walk to Assos.
Act 20:14 Later we met Paul at Assos and there he came onto the ship with us. Then we all went to the town of Mitylene.
Act 20:15 The next day we sailed away from Mitylene and came to a place near the island of Chios. The next day we sailed to the island of Samos. A day later we came to the town of Miletus.
Act 20:16 Paul had already decided not to stop at Ephesus. He didn’t want to stay in Asia too long. He was hurrying because he wanted to be in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost if that were possible.
Act 20:17 Paul sent a message back to Ephesus from Miletus. He invited the elders of the called out people in Ephesus to come to him.
Act 20:18 When the elders came, Paul said to them, "Do you remember when I came to you on my first day in Asia? I stayed with you the whole time. The Jewish leaders planned evil things against me. Although this troubled me very much (sometimes I even cried), I always served the Lord. I never thought about myself first.
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Act 20:20 I always did what was best for you, teaching you everything about Jesus in public and also in your homes.
Act 20:21 I told both Jewish and non-Jewish people to change their hearts and turn to God. I told them all to trust in our Lord Jesus.
Act 20:22 "But now I must obey the Holy Spirit and go to Jerusalem. I do not know what will happen to me there.
Act 20:23 I only know that, in every town, the Holy Spirit warns me that troubles and even jail wait for me.
Act 20:24 My life does not matter. The most important thing is that I finish the race — the work which the Lord Jesus gave me to do, telling people the Good News about God’s help in time of need.
Act 20:25 And now listen to me. I know that none of you will ever see my face again! During the whole time I was with you, I was preaching to you about the kingdom of God.
Act 20:26 So today I can tell you one thing that I am sure of: I’m not to blame if some of you will not be saved!
Act 20:27 I can say this because I know I told you everything that God wants you to know.
Act 20:28 "Watch out for yourselves and for all the people God has given you. The Holy Spirit chose you to guard this flock. You must shepherd the called out people of God whom he bought with his own blood.
Act 20:29 I know that after I leave, some men will come into your groups. They will be like vicious wolves, trying to destroy the flock.
Act 20:30 Also, men from your own group will begin to teach things which are wrong, leading some students away from the truth.
Act 20:31 So be alert! Always remember: I was with you for three years. During this time I never stopped warning each one of you. I taught you night and day. I often cried over you.
Act 20:32 "Now I am giving you to God. I am depending on the message of God’s help in time of need to make you strong. That message is able to
