Bible in 90 Days

Stephen Is Brought in Front of the Religious Leaders’ Court

⁸ Stephen was a man full of faith and power. He did many great things among the people. ⁹ But some men came from their place of worship who were known as the Free people. They started to argue with Stephen. These men were from the countries of Cyrene and Alexandria and Cilicia and Asia. ¹⁰ Stephen spoke with wisdom and power given by the Holy Spirit. They were not able to say anything against what he said. ¹¹ So they told other men to say, “We have heard him say things against Moses and God.” ¹² In this way they got the people talking against Stephen. The leaders of the people and the teachers of the Law came and took him to the religious leaders’ court. ¹³ The people were told to lie and say, “This man keeps on talking against this place of worship and the Law of Moses. ¹⁴ We have heard him say, ‘Jesus of Nazareth is going to pull down this place. He is going to change what Moses taught us.’”

¹⁵ The men sitting in the religious leaders’ court were looking at Stephen. They all saw that his face looked like the face of an angel.

Stephen Speaks about the God of Abraham

7 The head religious leader asked Stephen, “Are these things true?” ² Stephen said, “My brothers and fathers, listen to me. The great God showed Himself to our early father Abraham while he lived in the country of Mesopotamia. This was before he moved to the country of Haran. ³ God said to him, ‘Leave your family and this land where you were born. Go to a land that I will show you.’ ⁴ He went from the land of the Chaldeans and lived in Haran. After his father died, he came to this country where you now live. ⁵ God did not give him any land to own, not even enough to put his feet on. But He promised that the land would be his and his children’s after him. At that time he had no children. ⁶ This is what God said, ‘Your children’s children will be living in a strange land. They will live there 400 years. They will be made to work without pay and will suffer many hard things. ⁷ I will say to that nation that it is guilty for holding them and making them work without pay. After that they will go free. They will leave that country and worship Me in this place.’

⁸ “He made a promise with Abraham. It was kept by a religious act of becoming a Jew. Abraham had a son, Isaac. On the eighth day Abraham took Isaac and had this religious act done to him. Isaac was the father of Jacob. Jacob was the father of our twelve early fathers.

⁹ “The sons of Jacob sold Joseph to people from the country of Egypt because they were jealous of him. But God was with Joseph. ¹⁰ He helped him in all his troubles. He gave him wisdom and favor with Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. This king made Joseph leader over Egypt and over all the king’s house.

¹¹ “The time came when there was no food to eat in all the land of Egypt and Canaan. The people suffered much. Our early fathers were not able to get food. ¹² Then Jacob heard there was food in Egypt. He sent our early fathers there the first time.

¹³ “The second time they went to the country of Egypt, Joseph made himself known to his brothers. The family of Joseph became known to Pharaoh. ¹⁴ Joseph asked his father Jacob and all his family to come. There were seventy-five people in the family. ¹⁵ Jacob moved down to Egypt and died there. Our early fathers died there also. ¹⁶ They were brought back to the city of Shechem where they were buried. Abraham paid money for the grave from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

Stephen Speaks about the God of Moses

¹⁷ “The promise God had given Abraham was about to happen. At this time many more of our people were in the country of Egypt. ¹⁸ Then another man became king in Egypt. He was a king who did not know Joseph. ¹⁹ He was hard on our people and nation. He worked against our early fathers. He made them put their babies outside so they would die.

²⁰ “At that time Moses was born. He was beautiful in God’s sight. He was fed in his father’s house for three months. ²¹ Then he was put outside. Pharaoh’s daughter took him and cared for him as her own son. ²² Moses was taught in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. He became a powerful man in words and in the things he did. ²³ When he was forty years old, he thought he should visit his brothers, the Jews. ²⁴ He saw one of the Jews being hurt. Moses helped the Jew and killed the man from Egypt. ²⁵ He thought his people would understand. He thought they knew God would let them go free by his help. But the people did not understand.

²⁶ “The next day Moses came to some Jews who were fighting. He tried to get them to stop. Moses said to the Jews, ‘Sirs, you are brothers. Why do you hurt each other?’ ²⁷ One was beating his neighbor. He pushed Moses away and said, ‘Who made you a leader over us? Who said you could say who is guilty? ²⁸ Do you want to kill me as you killed the man from Egypt yesterday?’ ²⁹ When Moses heard that, he went as fast as he could to the country of Midian where he was a stranger. While he was there, he became the father of two sons. ³⁰ Forty years passed and Moses was near Mount Sinai where no people live. There he saw an angel in the fire of a burning bush. ³¹ He was surprised and wondered when he saw it. He went up close to see it better. Then he heard the voice of the Lord speak to him. ³² ‘I am the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of Jacob.’ Moses shook! He was so afraid he did not look at the bush.

³³ “Then the Lord said to him, ‘Take your shoes off your feet! The place where you are standing is holy ground. ³⁴ I have seen My people suffer in the country of Egypt and I have heard their cries. I have come down to let them go free. So come now, I will send you back to Egypt.’

³⁵ “The people had put Moses aside. They said, ‘Who made you a leader over us? Who said you are the one to say what is right or wrong?’ But God made this man a leader. Moses was the one who brought them out of the country of Egypt. This was done by the help of the angel who was in the burning bush. ³⁶ This man led them. He did powerful works in Egypt and at the Red Sea. For forty years he led them in the desert.

³⁷ “Moses said to the Jews, ‘God will give you one who speaks for Him like me from among your brothers.’ ³⁸ This is the man who was with the Jewish nation in the desert. The angel talked to him on Mount Sinai. Moses told it to our early fathers. He also received the living Words of God to give to us.

³⁹ “Our early fathers would not listen to him. They did not obey him. In their hearts they wanted to go back to the country of Egypt. ⁴⁰ They said to Aaron, ‘Make us gods to go before us. We do not know what has happened to this Moses who led us out of Egypt.’

⁴¹ “In those days they made a calf of gold. They put gifts down in front of their god in worship. They were happy with what they had made with their hands. ⁴² But God turned from them and let them worship the stars of heaven. This is written in the book of the early preachers, ‘Nation of Jews, was it to Me you gave gifts of sheep and cattle on the altar for forty years in the desert? ⁴³ No, you set up the tent to worship the god of Molock and the star of your god Rompha. You made gods to worship them. I will carry you away to the other side of the country of Babylon.’ ^(A)

The Place of Worship and the House of God

⁴⁴ “Our early fathers had the tent to worship in. They used it in the desert. God told Moses to make it like the plan which he had seen. ⁴⁵ This was received by our early fathers. They brought it here when they won the wars with the people who were not Jews. It was when Joshua was our leader. God made those people leave as our early fathers took the land. The tent was here until the time of David. ⁴⁶ David pleased God and wanted to build a house for worship for the God of Jacob. ⁴⁷ But Solomon was the one who built the house of God for Him. ⁴⁸ But the Most High does not live in buildings made by hands. The early preacher said, ⁴⁹ ’Heaven is the place where I sit and the earth is the place where I rest My feet. What house will you build Me?’ says the Lord. ‘Or what is My place of rest? ⁵⁰ Did not My hands make all these things?’ ^(B)

The Jews Are Hurt

⁵¹ “You have hard hearts and ears that will not listen to me! You are always working against the Holy Spirit. Your early fathers did. You do too. ⁵² Which of the early preachers was not beaten and hurt by your early fathers? They killed those who told of the coming of the One Right with God. Now you have handed Him over and killed Him. ⁵³ You had the Law given to you by angels. Yet you have not kept it.”

Stephen Is Killed

⁵⁴ The Jews and religious leaders listened to Stephen. Then they became angry and began to grind their teeth at him. ⁵⁵ He was filled with the Holy Spirit. As he looked up to heaven, he saw the shining-greatness of God and Jesus standing at the right side of God. ⁵⁶ He said, “See! I see heaven open and the Son of Man standing at the right side of God!” ⁵⁷ They cried out with loud voices. They put their hands over their ears and they all pushed on him. ⁵⁸ Then they took him out of the city and threw stones at him. The men who were throwing the stones laid their coats down in front of a young man named Saul. ⁵⁹ While they threw stones at Stephen, he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” ⁶⁰ After that he fell on his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” When he had said this, he died.

It Is Hard for the Christians in Jerusalem

8 Saul thought it was all right that Stephen was killed. On that day people started to work very hard against the church in Jerusalem. All the followers, except the missionaries, were made to leave. They went to parts of the countries of Judea and Samaria. ² Good men put Stephen in a grave. There was much sorrow because of him. ³ During this time Saul was making it very hard for the church. He went into every house of the followers of Jesus and took men and women and put them in prison.

Philip Preaches in Samaria

⁴ Those who had been made to go to other places preached the Word as they went. ⁵ Philip went down to a city in Samaria and preached about Christ. ⁶ The people all listened to what Philip said. As they listened, they watched him do powerful works. ⁷ There were many people who had demons in their bodies. The demons cried with loud voices when they went out of the people. Many of the people could not move their bodies or arms and legs. They were all healed. ⁸ There was much joy in that city.

Simon the Witch Doctor

⁹ A man by the name of Simon had done witchcraft there. The people of Samaria were surprised at the things he did. He pretended that he was a great man. ¹⁰ All the people watched and listened to him. They said, “This man must be that great power of God.” ¹¹ They kept running after him. For a long time he fooled them with his witchcraft.

¹² Philip told the Good News of the holy nation of God and of Jesus Christ. Both men and women put their trust in Christ and were baptized. ¹³ Even Simon believed in Christ and was baptized. He went along with Philip everywhere. He was surprised when he saw the powerful works that were being done.

¹⁴ The missionaries in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had received the Word of God. They sent Peter and John to them. ¹⁵ When Peter and John got there, they prayed that the new followers might receive the Holy Spirit. ¹⁶ He had not yet come on any of them. They had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. ¹⁷ They laid their hands on them and the followers received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸ When Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given when the missionaries laid their hands on the people, he wanted to give money to the missionaries. ¹⁹ He said, “Let me also have this power. Then I can give the Holy Spirit to anyone I lay my hands on.” ²⁰ Peter said to him, “May your money be destroyed with you because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money! ²¹ You have no part or place in this work. Your heart is not right in God’s sight. ²² You must be sorry for this sin of yours and turn from it. Pray to the Lord that He will forgive you for having such a thought in your heart. ²³ I see that you are full of jealousy and chained by your sin.” ²⁴ Simon said, “Pray to the Lord for me that nothing you have said will come to me.”

²⁵ Peter and John went back to Jerusalem after telling what they had seen and heard. They had preached the Word of the Lord also. On the way they preached the Good News in many other towns in the country of Samaria.

Philip and the Man from Ethiopia

²⁶ An angel of the Lord spoke to Philip saying, “Get up and go south. Take the road that goes down from Jerusalem to the country of Gaza. It goes through the desert.” ²⁷ Philip got up and went. A man from the country of Ethiopia had come to Jerusalem to worship. He had been made so he could not have children. He cared for all the riches that belonged to Candace who was Queen of Ethiopia. ²⁸ As he was going back home, he was sitting in his wagon reading about the early preacher Isaiah. ²⁹ The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that wagon and get on it.” ³⁰ Philip ran up to him. He saw that the man from Ethiopia was reading from the writings of the early preacher Isaiah and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” ³¹ The man from Ethiopia said, “How can I, unless someone teaches me?” Then he asked Philip to come up and sit beside him.

³² He was reading the part in the Holy Writings which says He was taken like a lamb to be put to death. A sheep does not make a sound while its wool is cut. So He made no sound. ³³ No one listened to Him because of His shame. Who will tell the story of His day? For His life was taken away from the earth. ^(C)

³⁴ The man from Ethiopia said to Philip, “Who is the early preacher talking about, himself, or someone else?” ³⁵ So Philip started with this part of the Holy Writings and preached the Good News of Jesus to him.

³⁶ As they went on their way, they came to some water. The man from Ethiopia said, “See! Here is water. What is to stop me from being baptized?” ³⁷ (*Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” The man said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”) ³⁸ He stopped the wagon. Then both Philip and the man from Ethiopia went down into the water and Philip baptized him.

³⁹ When they came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit took Philip away. The man from Ethiopia did not see Philip again. He went on his way full of joy. ⁴⁰ Philip found himself at the city of Azotus. Then Philip went through all the towns as far as the city of Caesarea preaching the Good News at each place.

Saul Becomes a Christian on the Way to Damascus ^(D)

9 Saul was still talking much about how he would like to kill the followers of the Lord. He went to the head religious leader. ² He asked for letters to be written to the Jewish places of worship in the city of Damascus. The letters were to say that if he found any men or women following the Way of Christ he might bring them to Jerusalem in chains.

³ He went on his way until he came near Damascus. All at once he saw a light from heaven shining around him. ⁴ He fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice say, “Saul, Saul, why are you working so hard against Me?” ⁵ Saul answered, “Who are You, Lord?” He said, “I am Jesus, the One Whom you are working against. You hurt yourself by trying to hurt Me.” ⁶ Saul was shaken and surprised. Then he said, “What do You want me to do, Lord?” The Lord said to him, “Get up! Go into the city and you will be told what to do.”

⁷ Those with Saul were not able to say anything. They heard a voice but saw no one. ⁸ Saul got up from the ground. When he opened his eyes, he saw nothing. They took him by the hand and led him to Damascus. ⁹ He could not see for three days. During that time he did not eat or drink.

¹⁰ In Damascus there was a follower by the name of Ananias. The Lord showed him in a dream what He wanted him to see. He said, “Ananias!” And Ananias answered, “Yes, Lord, I am here.” ¹¹ The Lord said, “Get up! Go over to Straight Street to Judas’ house and ask for a man from the city of Tarsus. His name is Saul. You will find him praying there. ¹² Saul has seen a man called Ananias in a dream. He is to come and put his hands on Saul so he might see again.”

¹³ Ananias said, “But Lord, many people have told me about this man. He is the reason many of Your followers in Jerusalem have had to suffer much. ¹⁴ He came here with the right and the power from the head religious leaders to put everyone in chains who call on Your name.” ¹⁵ The Lord said to him, “Go! This man is the one I have chosen to carry My name among the people who are not Jews and to their kings and to Jews. ¹⁶ I will show him how much he will have to suffer because of Me.”

Saul Is Baptized

¹⁷ So Ananias went to that house. He put his hands on Saul and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus has sent me to you. You saw the Lord along the road as you came here. The Lord has sent me so you might be able to see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ¹⁸ At once something like a covering fell from the eyes of Saul and he could see. He got up and was baptized. ¹⁹ After that he ate some food and received strength. For some days he stayed with the followers in Damascus.

Saul Preaches the Good News

²⁰ At once Saul began to preach in the Jewish places of worship that Jesus is the Son of God. ²¹ All who heard him were surprised and wondered. They said, “This is the man who beat and killed the followers in Jerusalem. He came here to tie the followers in chains and take them to the head religious leaders.” ²² But Saul kept on growing in power. The Jews living in Damascus wondered about Saul’s preaching. He was proving that Jesus was the Christ.

²³ After some days the Jews talked together and made plans how they might kill Saul. ²⁴ He heard of their plans. Day and night they watched for him at the city gates to kill him. ²⁵ So the followers helped him get away at night. They let him down over the wall in a basket.

Saul Comes to Jerusalem

²⁶ When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join the followers. But they were afraid of him. They did not believe he was a true follower of Jesus. ²⁷ Then Barnabas took him to the missionaries. He told them that Saul had seen the Lord on the road. He told them also how the Lord had spoken to Saul and how he had preached without fear in Damascus in the name of Jesus. ²⁸ After that he was with them going in and out of Jerusalem. ²⁹ He preached without fear in the name of the Lord. He talked and argued with the Jews who spoke the Greek language. They kept trying to kill him. ³⁰ When the followers heard this, they took him down to the city of Caesarea. From there they sent him to the city of Tarsus.

³¹ Then the church through all the countries of Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace for awhile. The church was made strong and it was given comfort by the Holy Spirit. It honored the Lord. More people were added to the church.

Aeneas Is Healed

³² When Peter was visiting all parts of the country, he came to the faithful followers who were living in the city of Lydda. ³³ A man there named Aeneas could not move his body. He had been in bed eight years. ³⁴ Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and roll up your bed.” He got up at once. ³⁵ All the people who lived in Lydda and in the city of Sharon saw Aeneas and they turned to the Lord.

Dorcas Is Raised from the Dead

³⁶ A woman who was a follower lived in the city of Joppa. Her name was Tabitha, or Dorcas. She did many good things and many acts of kindness. ³⁷ One day she became sick and died. After they had washed her body, they laid her in a room on the second floor. ³⁸ The city of Lydda was near Joppa. The followers heard that Peter was at Lydda and sent two men to ask him to come at once. ³⁹ Peter went back with them. When he came, they took him to the room. All the women whose husbands had died were standing around crying. They were showing the clothes Dorcas had made while she was with them.

⁴⁰ Peter made them all leave the room. Then he got down on his knees and prayed. He turned to her body and said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes and looked at Peter and sat up. ⁴¹ He took her by the hand and lifted her up. Then he called in the faithful followers and the women whose husbands had died. He gave her to them, a living person.

⁴² News of this went through all Joppa. Many people put their trust in the Lord. ⁴³ After this, Peter stayed in Joppa many days in the house of Simon who worked with leather.

God Speaks to a Man Who Was Not a Jew

10 There was a man in the city of Caesarea by the name of Cornelius. He was a captain of an Italian group of the army. ² He and his family were good people and honored God. He gave much money to the people and prayed always to God.

³ One afternoon about three o’clock he saw in a dream what God wanted him to see. An angel of God came to him and said, “Cornelius.” ⁴ He was afraid as he looked at the angel. He said, “What is it, Lord?” The angel said, “Your prayers and your gifts of money have gone up to God. He has remembered them. ⁵ Send some men to the city of Joppa and ask Simon Peter to come here. ⁶ He is living with Simon, the man who works with leather. His house is by the sea-shore. He will tell you what you must do.” ⁷ The angel left him. Then Cornelius called two of his servants and a religious soldier who took care of him. ⁸ He told what had happened. Then he sent them to Joppa.

Peter’s Dream

⁹ The next day they went on their way. About noon they were coming near the town. At this time Peter went up on the roof to pray. ¹⁰ He became very hungry and wanted something to eat. While they were getting food ready to eat, he saw in a dream things God wanted him to see. ¹¹ He saw heaven open up and something like a large linen cloth being let down to earth by the four corners. ¹² On the cloth were all kinds of four-footed animals and snakes of the earth and birds of the sky. ¹³ A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill something and eat it.” ¹⁴ Peter said, “No, Lord! I have never eaten anything that our Law says is unclean.” ¹⁵ The voice said the second time, “What God has made clean you must not say is unclean.” ¹⁶ This happened three times. Then it was taken back to heaven.

Cornelius’ Men Find Peter

¹⁷ Peter thought about the meaning of the dream. The men that Cornelius had sent came. They were standing by the gate asking about Simon’s house. ¹⁸ They called to ask if Simon Peter was staying there.

¹⁹ Peter was still thinking about the dream when the Holy Spirit said to him, “See, three men are looking for you. ²⁰ Get up. Go down and go with them. Do not doubt if you should go, because I sent them.” ²¹ Peter went down to the men who had been sent by Cornelius. He said, “I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come?” ²² They said, “Cornelius sent us. He is a captain and a good man and he honors God. The whole Jewish nation can say this is true. An angel from God told him to send for you. He asks you to come to his house. He wants to hear what you have to say.”

Peter Goes to Cornelius

²³ Peter asked them to come in and stay with him for the night. The next day he went with them. Some of the brothers from Joppa went along. ²⁴ The next day they came to Caesarea. Cornelius was looking for them. He had gathered all his family and close friends at his house. ²⁵ When Peter came, Cornelius got down at his feet and worshiped him. ²⁶ But Peter raised him up and said, “Get up! I am just a man like you.” ²⁷ As Peter spoke with Cornelius, he went into the house and found a large group of people gathered together. ²⁸ Peter said to them, “You know it is against our Law for a Jew to visit a person of another nation. But God has shown me I should not say that any man is unclean. ²⁹ For this reason I came as soon as you sent for me. But I want to ask you why you sent for me?”

³⁰ Cornelius said, “Four days ago at three o’clock in the afternoon I was praying here in my house. All at once, I saw a man standing in front of me. He had on bright clothes. ³¹ He said to me, ‘Cornelius, God has heard your prayers and has remembered your gifts of love. ³² You must send to Joppa and ask Simon Peter to come here. He is staying at the house of Simon, the man who works with leather. His house is by the sea-shore.’ ³³ I sent for you at once. You have done well to come. We are all here and God is with us. We are ready to hear whatever the Lord has told you to say.”

Peter Preaches in Cornelius’ House

³⁴ Then Peter said, “I can see, for sure, that God does not respect one person more than another. ³⁵ He is pleased with any man in any nation who honors Him and does what is right. ³⁶ He has sent His Word to the Jews. He told them the Good News of peace through Jesus Christ. Jesus is Lord of All. ³⁷ You know the story yourselves. It was told in all the country of Judea. It began in the country of Galilee after the preaching of John the Baptist. ³⁸ God gave Jesus of Nazareth the Holy Spirit and power. He went around doing good and healing all who were troubled by the devil because God was with Him. ³⁹ We have seen and heard everything He did in the land of the Jews and in Jerusalem. And yet they killed Him by nailing Him to a cross. ⁴⁰ God raised Him to life on the third day and made Him to be seen. ⁴¹ Not all the people saw Him but those who were chosen to see Him. We saw Him. We ate and drank with Him after He was raised from the dead. ⁴² He told us to preach to the people and tell them that God gave Christ the right to be the One Who says who is guilty of the living and the dead. ⁴³ All the early preachers spoke of this. Everyone who puts his trust in Christ will have his sins forgiven through His name.”

The Holy Spirit Comes to the Family of Cornelius

⁴⁴ While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all who were hearing his words. ⁴⁵ The Jewish followers who had come along with Peter were surprised and wondered because the gift of the Holy Spirit was also given to the people who were not Jews. ⁴⁶ They heard them speak in special sounds and give thanks to God. Then Peter said, ⁴⁷ “Will anyone say that these people may not be baptized? They have received the Holy Spirit just as we have.” ⁴⁸ He gave the word that they should be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then they asked Peter to stay with them for some days.

Peter Tells Why He Preached to the People Who Are Not Jews

11 The missionaries and followers who were in the country of Judea heard that the people who were not Jews also had received the Word of God. ² When Peter went up to Jerusalem, the Jewish followers argued with him. ³ They said, “Why did you visit those people who are not Jews and eat with them?”

⁴ Then Peter began to tell all that had happened from the beginning to the end. He said, ⁵ “While I was praying in the city of Joppa, I saw in a dream something coming down from heaven. It was like a large linen cloth let down by the four corners until it came to me. ⁶ As I looked at it, I saw four-footed animals and snakes of the earth and birds of the sky. ⁷ I heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter, kill something and eat it.’ ⁸ But I said, ‘No, Lord! Nothing that is unclean has ever gone into my mouth.’ ⁹ The voice from heaven said the second time, ‘What God has made clean you must not say is unclean.’ ¹⁰ This happened three times and then it was taken up again to heaven.

¹¹ “Three men had already come to the house where I was staying. They had been sent to me from the city of Caesarea. ¹² The Holy Spirit told me to go with them and not doubt about going. These six men also went with me to this man’s house. ¹³ He told us how he had seen an angel in his own home. The angel had stood in front of him and said, ‘Send men to Joppa to ask for Simon Peter. ¹⁴ He will tell you and all your family how you can be saved from the punishment of sin.’

¹⁵ “As I began to talk to them, the Holy Spirit came down on them just as He did on us at the beginning. ¹⁶ Then I remembered the Lord had said, ‘John baptized with water but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ¹⁷ If God gave to them the same gift He gave to us after we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, how could I stand against God?”

¹⁸ When they heard these words, they said nothing more. They thanked God, saying, “Then God has given life also to the people who are not Jews. They have this new life by being sorry for their sins and turning from them.”

The Followers Are Called Christians First In Antioch

¹⁹ Those who went different places because of the trouble that started over Stephen had gone as far as the cities of Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch. They had preached the Word, but only to the Jews. ²⁰ Some of the men from Cyprus and Cyrene returned to Antioch. They preached the Good News of Jesus Christ to the Greek people there. ²¹ The Lord gave them power. Many people put their trust in the Lord and turned to Him.

²² The news of this came to the church in Jerusalem. They sent Barnabas to Antioch. ²³ When he got there and saw how good God had been to them, he was full of joy. He told them to be true and faithful to the Lord. ²⁴ Barnabas was a good man and full of the Holy Spirit and faith. And many people became followers of the Lord.

²⁵ From there Barnabas went on to the city of Tarsus to look for Saul. ²⁶ When he found Saul, he brought him back with him to Antioch. For a year they taught many people in the church. The followers were first called Christians in Antioch.

The Antioch Church Helps the Jerusalem Church

²⁷ At that time some men who preached God’s Word came to Antioch and told what was going to happen. They were from Jerusalem. ²⁸ One of them was Agabus. The Holy Spirit told him to stand up and speak. He told them there would be very little food to eat over all the world. This happened when Claudius was leader of the country. ²⁹ The Christians agreed that each one should give what money he could to help the Christians living in Judea. ³⁰ They did this and sent it to the church leaders with Barnabas and Saul.

The King Makes It Hard for the Church

12 At that time King Herod used his power to make it hard for the Christians in the church. ² He killed James, the brother of John, with a sword. ³ When he saw that it made the Jews happy, he took hold of Peter also. This was during the special religious gathering to remember how the Jews left Egypt. ⁴ Herod took Peter and put him in prison and had sixteen soldiers watch him. After the special religious gathering was over, he planned to bring Peter out to the people.

Peter Goes Free

⁵ So Peter was held in prison. But the church kept praying to God for him. ⁶ The night before Herod was to bring him out for his trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers. He was tied with two chains. Soldiers stood by the door and watched the prison.

⁷ All at once an angel of the Lord was seen standing beside him. A light shone in the building. The angel hit Peter on the side and said, “Get up!” Then the chains fell off his hands. ⁸ The angel said, “Put on your belt and shoes!” He did. The angel said to Peter, “Put on your coat and follow me.” ⁹ Peter followed him out. He was not sure what was happening as the angel helped him. He thought it was a dream.

¹⁰ They passed one soldier, then another one. They came to the big iron door that leads to the city and it opened by itself and they went through. As soon as they had gone up one street, the angel left him.

The Christians Find It Hard to Believe Peter Is Free

¹¹ As Peter began to see what was happening, he said to himself, “Now I am sure the Lord has sent His angel and has taken me out of the hands of Herod. He has taken me also from all the things the Jews wanted to do to me.” ¹² After thinking about all this, he went to Mary’s house. She was the mother of John Mark. Many Christians were gathered there praying.

¹³ When Peter knocked at the gate, a girl named Rhoda went to see who it was. ¹⁴ She knew Peter’s voice, but in her joy she forgot to open the gate. She ran in and told them that Peter was standing outside the gate.

¹⁵ They said to her, “You are crazy.” But she said again that it was so. They kept saying, “It is his angel.” ¹⁶ Peter kept knocking. When they opened the gate and saw him, they were surprised and wondered about it. ¹⁷ He raised his hand and told them not to talk but to listen to him. He told them how the Lord had brought him out of prison. He said, “Tell all these things to James and to the other Christian brothers.” Then he went to another place.

The Death of Herod

¹⁸ In the morning the soldiers were very troubled about what had happened to Peter. ¹⁹ Herod looked for him but could not find him. He asked the soldiers who watched the prison about Peter. Herod said that the soldiers must be killed because Peter got away. Then Herod went down from the country of Judea to the city of Caesarea to stay for awhile.

²⁰ Herod was very angry with the people of the cities of Tyre and Sidon. They went to him and asked for peace to be made between them and the king. They asked this because their country got food from the king’s country. The people made friends with Blastus, the king’s helper. ²¹ A day was set aside. On that day Herod put on purple clothes a king wears. He sat on his throne and spoke to the people. ²² They all started to speak with a loud voice, “This is the voice of a god, not of a man.” ²³ The angel of the Lord knocked him down because he did not give honor to God. He was eaten by worms and died.

²⁴ The Word of God was heard by many people and went into more places. ²⁵ Saul and Barnabas went back to Jerusalem after they had finished their work. They took John Mark with them.

Saul and Barnabas Are Called to Be Missionaries

13 In the church in the city of Antioch there were preachers and teachers. They were Barnabas, Simeon Niger, Lucius of the country of Cyrene, Manaen of Herod’s family, and Saul. ² While they were worshiping the Lord and eating no food so they could pray better, the Holy Spirit said, “Let Barnabas and Saul be given to Me for the work I have called them to.”

Paul and Barnabas Go to Antioch

³ These preachers and teachers went without food during that time and prayed. Then they laid their hands on Barnabas and Saul and sent them away. ⁴ They were sent by the Holy Spirit to the city of Seleucia. From there they went by ship to the island of Cyprus. ⁵ When they went to shore at the city of Salamis, they preached the Word of God in the Jewish place of worship. John Mark was with them as their helper.

⁶ They went over Cyprus as far as the city of Paphos. While there, they found a Jew who did witchcraft. He was a false preacher named Barjesus. ⁷ Sergius Paulus was the leader of the country and a man who knew much. Barjesus was with Sergius Paulus. Sergius Paulus asked Barnabas and Saul to come to him so he might hear the Word of God. ⁸ But Elymas (as he called himself), the man who did witchcraft, worked against Barnabas and Saul. He tried to keep the leader of the country from putting his trust in the Lord.

⁹ Saul, whose other name was Paul, was full of the Holy Spirit. He looked at Elymas. ¹⁰ Then Saul said, “You false preacher and trouble-maker! You son of the devil! You hate what is right! Will you always be turning people from the right ways of the Lord? ¹¹ And now look! The hand of the Lord is on you. You will become blind. For a time you will not be able to see the sun.” At once it became dark to Elymas, and he could not see. He asked people to take him by the hand to lead him from place to place.

¹² The leader of the country put his trust in the Lord because he saw what had happened. He was surprised and wondered about the teaching of the Lord. ¹³ Paul and those with him went by ship from Paphos to the city of Perga in the country of Pamphylia. John Mark did not go with them but went back to Jerusalem.

Paul Preaches in Antioch

¹⁴ From Perga they went on to the city of Antioch in the country of Pisidia. On the Day of Rest they went into the Jewish place of worship and sat down. ¹⁵ After the leaders had read from the Jewish Law and the writings of the early preachers, they sent to them saying, “Brothers, if you have any word of comfort and help for the people, say it now.” ¹⁶ Paul got up. He raised his hand and said, “Jewish men and you who honor God, listen! ¹⁷ The God of the Jews chose our early fathers and made them a great people during the time they lived in the land of Egypt. With a strong hand He took them out from there. ¹⁸ For about forty years He took care of them in the desert. ¹⁹ He destroyed the people of seven nations in the land of Canaan. Then He divided the land and gave it to them as their own. ²⁰ For about 450 years He let them have special leaders. They had these leaders until the time of Samuel.

²¹ “Then they wanted a king. God gave them Saul who was the son of Kish from the family group of Benjamin. He was king forty years. ²² When God took Saul as king from them, He made David to be their king. He said, ‘David, Jesse’s son, will please My heart. He will do all I want done.’

²³ “From this man’s family, God gave to the Jews the One Who saves from the punishment of sin as He had promised. He is Jesus. ²⁴ Before Jesus came, John had preached to all the Jews that they should be baptized because they were sorry for their sins and turned from them. ²⁵ When John was near the end of his work, he asked, ‘Who do you think I am? I am not the Christ. No, but He is coming later and I am not good enough to get down and help Him take off His shoes!’

²⁶ “Men and brothers, sons of the family of Abraham, and all of you who honor God, listen! This news of being able to be saved from the punishment of sin has been sent to you. ²⁷ The people of Jerusalem and their leaders did not know Him. They did not understand the words from the early preachers. These words were read to them every Day of Rest. But they did the very thing the early preachers had said they would do by handing Him over to die. ²⁸ They could find no reason that He should die, but they asked Pilate to have Him killed. ²⁹ When everything was done that had been written about Him, they took Him down from the cross and laid Him in a grave. ³⁰ But God raised Him from the dead. ³¹ For many days He was seen by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These are the ones who tell the people about Him.

³² “We bring you the Good News about the promise made to our early fathers. ³³ God has finished this for us who are their children. He did this by raising Jesus from the dead. It is written in the second Psalm, ‘You are My Son. Today I have become Your Father.’ ^{(E) 34} God proved that Jesus was His Son by raising Him from the dead. He will never die again. He has said, ‘I will complete the promises made to David.’ ^(F)

³⁵ “In another Psalm He says, ‘You will not allow Your Holy One to go back to dust!’ ^{(G) 36} David was a good leader for the people of his day. He did what God wanted. Then he died and was put into a grave close to his father’s grave. His body went back to dust. ³⁷ But God raised this One (Christ) to life. He did not go back to dust.

³⁸ “Men and brothers, listen to this. You may be forgiven of your sins by this One I am telling you about. ³⁹ Everyone who puts his trust in Christ will be made right with God. You will be made free from those things the Law of Moses could not make you free from. ⁴⁰ But look out! The writings of the early preachers tell of many things that you do not want to happen to you. ⁴¹ ‘Listen, you who doubt and laugh at the truth will die. I will do a work during your days. It will be a work that you will not believe even if someone tells you about it.’” ^(H)

⁴² As Paul and Barnabas went out of the Jewish place of worship, the people asked them to talk about these things on the next Day of Rest. ⁴³ The people went from the place of worship. Many Jews and others who had become Jews followed Paul and Barnabas as they talked to the Jews. They told them to keep on trusting in the loving-favor of God.

Paul and Barnabas Go to the People Who Are Not Jews

⁴⁴ Almost all of the people of the town came to hear the Word of God on the next Day of Rest. ⁴⁵ The Jews were filled with jealousy when they saw so many people. They spoke against the things Paul said by saying he was wrong. They also spoke against God. ⁴⁶ Paul and Barnabas said to the people in plain words, “We must preach the Word of God to you first. But because you put it aside, you are not good enough for life that lasts forever. So we will go to the people who are not Jews. ⁴⁷ The Lord gave us a work to do. He said, ‘You are to be a light to the people who are not Jews. You are to preach so that men over all the earth can be saved from the punishment of their sins.’” ^(I)

⁴⁸ The people who were not Jews were glad when they heard this. They were thankful for the Word of God. Those who were chosen for life that lasts forever believed. ⁴⁹ The Word of God was preached over all that land.

⁵⁰ The Jews worked on the feelings of the women who were religious and respected. They worked on the leading men of the city also. They worked against Paul and Barnabas and made them leave their city. ⁵¹ But Paul and Barnabas shook the dust off from their feet against them and went to the city of Iconium. ⁵² The missionaries were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Barnabas Preach in Iconium

14 In the city of Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish place of worship. They preached with power and many people became Christians. These people were Jews and Greeks. ² But the Jews who did not want to believe worked against those who were not Jews. They made them turn against the Christians. ³ Paul and Barnabas stayed there a long time preaching with the strength the Lord gave. God helped them to do powerful works when they preached which showed He was with them. ⁴ The people of the city were divided. Some were on the side of the Jews. Some were on the side of the missionaries. ⁵ All the people and the leaders tried to hurt them and throw stones at them.

Paul and Barnabas Go to Lystra

⁶ When Paul and Barnabas heard this, they got away and went to the cities of Lystra and Derbe in Lycaonia and to the country close by. ⁷ They stayed there and kept on preaching the Good News. ⁸ There was a man in Lystra who had never walked from the time he was born. ⁹ This man listened as Paul spoke. Paul watched him. He saw that the man believed he could be healed. ¹⁰ Calling to him with a loud voice, Paul said, “Stand up on your feet!” The man jumped up and walked around.

Paul and Barnabas Are Called Gods, Then Stoned

¹¹ The people saw what Paul did. They called with loud voices in the language of the people of Lycaonia, “The gods have become like men and have come down to us.” ¹² They said that Barnabas was Jupiter. Paul was called Mercury because he spoke more than Barnabas. ¹³ The god of Jupiter was in a building near the gate leading into the city. The religious leader of that place brought cattle and flowers to the gate. He and many other people wanted to burn these as gifts in an act of worship to Paul and Barnabas.

¹⁴ When Paul and Barnabas heard this, they ran among the people. They tore their clothes and cried out, ¹⁵ “Why are you doing this? We are only men with feelings like yours. We preach the Good News that you should turn from these empty things to the living God. He made the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. ¹⁶ Long ago He allowed all people to live the way they wanted to. ¹⁷ Even then God did not leave you without something to see of Him. He did good. He gave you rain from heaven and much food. He made you happy.” ¹⁸ Even with these words it was hard for Paul and Barnabas to keep the people from burning cattle in an act of worship to them.

¹⁹ By this time some Jews from the cities of Antioch and Iconium came. They turned the minds of the people against Paul and Barnabas and told them to throw stones at Paul. After they threw stones at him, they dragged him out of the city thinking he was dead.

Paul and Barnabas Preach to the Christians on Their Return Trip to Antioch

²⁰ As the Christians gathered around Paul, he got up and went back into the city. The next day he went with Barnabas to Derbe. ²¹ In that city they preached the Good News and taught many people. Then they returned to the cities of Lystra and Iconium and Antioch. ²² In each city they helped the Christians to be strong and true to the faith. They told them, “We must suffer many hard things to get into the holy nation of God.”

²³ In every church they chose leaders for them. They went without food during that time so they could pray better. Paul and Barnabas prayed for the leaders, giving them over to the Lord in Whom they believed.

²⁴ When they had gone through the city of Pisidia, they came to the city of Pamphylia. ²⁵ Then they preached the Good News in the city of Perga. After this they went down to the city of Attalia. ²⁶ From there they went by ship to Antioch where they had been given to the Lord for His work. The work of this trip was done.

²⁷ When they got there, they called the church together. They told them everything God had done for them. They told how God had opened the door for the people who were not Jews to have faith. ²⁸ They stayed there with the followers a long time.

A Meeting of Church Leaders in Jerusalem

15 Some men came down from the country of Judea and started to teach the Christians. They said, “Unless you go through the religious act of becoming a Jew as Moses taught, you cannot be saved from the punishment of sin.” ² Paul and Barnabas argued with them. Then Paul and Barnabas and some other men were chosen to go up to Jerusalem. They were to talk to the missionaries and church leaders about this teaching. ³ The church sent them on their way. They went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria and told how those who were not Jews were turning to God. This made the Christians very happy.

⁴ When they got to Jerusalem, the church and the missionaries and the church leaders were glad to see them. Paul and Barnabas told them what God had done through them.

⁵ Some of the Christians there had been proud religious law-keepers. They got up and said, “Doing the religious act of becoming a Jew and keeping the Law of Moses are two things that must be done.” ⁶ The missionaries and church leaders got together to talk about this. ⁷ After a long time of much talking, Peter got up and said to them, “Brothers, you know in the early days God was pleased to use me to preach the Good News to the people who are not Jews so they might put their trust in Christ. ⁸ God knows the hearts of all men. He showed them they were to have His loving-favor by giving them the Holy Spirit the same as He gave to us. ⁹ He has made no difference between them and us. They had their hearts made clean when they put their trust in Him also. ¹⁰ Why do you test God by putting too heavy a load on the back of the followers? It was too heavy for our fathers or for us to carry. ¹¹ We believe it is by the loving-favor of the Lord Jesus that we are saved. They are saved from the punishment of sin the same way.”

¹² All those who were gathered together said nothing. They listened to Paul and Barnabas who told of the powerful works God had done through them among the people who are not Jews.

God’s Call Is Also for the People Who Are Not Jews

¹³ When they finished speaking, James said, “Brothers, listen to me. ¹⁴ Simon Peter has told how God first visited the people who are not Jews. He was getting a people for Himself. ¹⁵ This agrees with what the early preacher said, ¹⁶ ’After this I will come back and build again the building of David that fell down. Yes, I will build it again from the stones that fell down. I will set it up again. ¹⁷ Then all the nations may look for the Lord, even all the people who are not Jews who are called by My name. The Lord said this. He does all these things. ¹⁸ God has made all His works known from the beginning of time.’ ^(J)

The People Who Are Not Jews Are Not Under the Law

¹⁹ “So we should not trouble these people who are not Jews who are turning to God. ²⁰ We should write to them that they should keep away from everything that is given to gods. They should keep away from sex sins and not eat blood or meat from animals that have been killed in ways against the Law. ²¹ For the Law of Moses has been read in every city from the early days. It has been read in the Jewish places of worship on every Day of Rest.”

²² Then the missionaries and the church leaders and the whole church chose some men from among them. They were to be sent to the city of Antioch with Paul and Barnabas. They chose Judas Barsabbas and Silas. These men were leaders among the Christians.

²³ They sent them with this letter: “The missionaries and church leaders and Christians greet the brothers who are not Jews in Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. ²⁴ We have heard that some from our group have troubled you and have put doubt in your minds. They said that you must go through the religious act of becoming a Jew and you must keep the Law of Moses. We did not tell them to say these things. ²⁵ All of us have wanted to send men to you with our much-loved Paul and Barnabas. ²⁶ Their lives have been in danger for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁷ So now we send Judas and Silas to you. They will tell you the same things. ²⁸ It pleased the Holy Spirit and us to ask you to do nothing more than these things that have to be done. ²⁹ You are to keep away from everything that is given to gods. Do not eat blood or meat from animals that have been killed in ways against the Law. Keep away from sex sins. If you keep yourselves free from these things you will do well. Good-by.”

The Missionaries Go Back to Antioch

³⁰ When the meeting was finished, they went to Antioch. As soon as they gathered the people together, they gave them the letter. ³¹ When they read it, they were glad for the comfort and strength it brought them. ³² Judas and Silas were preachers also. They preached to the Christians and helped them to become stronger in the faith.

³³ They were there for some time. Then they were sent back in peace to the missionaries who had sent them. ³⁴ But Silas thought he should stay there. ³⁵ Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch. With the help of many others, they preached and taught the Word of God.

Paul Starts Out the Second Time

³⁶ After awhile, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the Christians in every city where we have preached the Word of God. Let us see how they are doing.” ³⁷ Barnabas wanted to take John Mark with them. ³⁸ Paul did not think it was good to take him because he had left them while they were in Pamphylia. He had not helped them in the work. ³⁹ They argued so much that they left each other. Barnabas took John Mark with him and went by ship to the island of Cyprus. ⁴⁰ Paul chose Silas. After the Christians asked for the Lord’s favor to be on Paul and Silas, they went on their way. ⁴¹ They went through Syria and Cilicia making the churches stronger in the faith.

Timothy Starts to Work with Paul

16 Paul went down to the cities of Derbe and Lystra. There was a follower there named Timothy. His mother was a Jewish Christian and his father was a Greek. ² The Christians in the city of Lystra and Iconium respected Timothy. ³ Paul wanted Timothy to go with him as a missionary. He took him and had Timothy go through the religious act of becoming a Jew because of the Jews who were in those places. Everyone knew his father was a Greek.

⁴ They went from city to city and told the Christians what the missionaries and the church leaders in Jerusalem had written for the Christians to do. ⁵ The churches were made stronger in the faith. More people were added each day.

Paul Is Called to Macedonia in a Dream

⁶ They went through the countries of Phrygia and Galatia. The Holy Spirit kept them from preaching the Word of God in the countries of Asia. ⁷ When they came to the city of Mysia, they tried to go on to the city of Bithynia but the Holy Spirit would not let them go. ⁸ From Mysia they went down to the city of Troas.

⁹ That night Paul had a dream. A man was standing in front of him crying out, “Come over to the country of Macedonia and help us!” ¹⁰ After he had seen this, we agreed that God told us to go to Macedonia to tell them the Good News.

Lydia, the First Christian in Europe

¹¹ We took a ship from the city of Troas to the city of Samothracia. The next day we went to the city of Neapolis. ¹² From there we went to the city of Philippi. This was an important city in Macedonia. It was ruled by the leaders of the country of Rome. We stayed here for some days. ¹³ On the Day of Rest we went outside the city to a place down by the river. We thought people would be gathering there for prayer. Some women came and we sat down and talked to them. ¹⁴ One of the women who listened sold purple cloth. She was from the city of Thyatira. Her name was Lydia and she was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to hear what Paul said. ¹⁵ When she and her family had been baptized, she said to us, “If you think I am faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house.” She kept on asking. Then we went with her.

Paul Heals a Girl with a Demon

¹⁶ One day as we were going to the place to pray, we met a servant-girl who could tell what was going to happen in the future by a demon she had. Her owner made much money from her power. ¹⁷ She followed Paul and us crying out, “These are servants of the Highest God. They are telling you how to be saved from the punishment of sin.” ¹⁸ She did this many days. Paul was troubled. Then he turned and said to the demon in her, “In the name of Jesus Christ, I speak to you. Come out of her!” At once it left her.

Paul and Silas in Jail

¹⁹ The girl’s owners saw that they could not make money with her anymore. Then they took hold of Paul and Silas and dragged them to the leaders. This happened in the center of town where people gather. ²⁰ After they brought them in front of the leaders, they said, “These men are Jews and are making a lot of trouble in our city. ²¹ They are teaching a religion that we Romans are not allowed to follow.”

²² Many people had gathered around Paul and Silas. They were calling out things against them. The leaders had the clothes of Paul and Silas taken off and had them beaten with sticks. ²³ After they had hit them many times, they put Paul and Silas in prison. The soldiers told the man who watched the prison to be sure to keep them from getting away. ²⁴ Because of this, they were put in the inside room of the prison and their feet were put in pieces of wood that held them.

²⁵ About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing songs of thanks to God. The other men in prison were listening to them. ²⁶ All at once the earth started to shake. The stones under the prison shook and the doors opened. The chains fell off from everyone.

²⁷ The man who watched the prison woke up. He saw the prison doors wide open and thought the men in prison had gotten away. At once he pulled out his sword to kill himself. ²⁸ But Paul called to him, “Do not hurt yourself. We are all here!” ²⁹ The man who watched the prison called for a light. Then he ran in and got down in front of Paul and Silas. He was shaking with fear. ³⁰ As he took them outside, he said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?”

³¹ They said, “Put your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ and you and your family will be saved from the punishment of sin.”

³² Then Paul spoke the Word of God to him and his family. ³³ It was late at night, but the man who watched the prison took Paul and Silas in and washed the places on their bodies where they were hurt. Right then he and his family were baptized. ³⁴ He took Paul and Silas to his house and gave them food. He and all his family were full of joy for having put their trust in God.

Paul and Silas Are Allowed to Go Free

³⁵ When it was day, the leaders sent a soldier to say, “Let these men go free.” ³⁶ The man who watched the prison told this to Paul. He said, “The leaders have sent word to let you go free. Come out now and go without any trouble.”

³⁷ Paul said, “No! They have beaten us in front of many people without a trial. We are Roman citizens and they have put us in prison. Now do they think they can send us away without anyone knowing? No! They must come themselves and take us out.”