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Saul Ravages the Church
And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
And Saul approved of his execution.
And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.
Saul was one of the witnesses, and he agreed completely with the killing of Stephen.
Persecution Scatters the Believers
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.
Persecution Scatters the Believers
A great wave of persecution began that day, sweeping over the church in Jerusalem; and all the believers except the apostles were scattered through the regions of Judea and Samaria.
Devout men buried Stephen and made great lamentation over him.
(Some devout men came and buried Stephen with great mourning.)
But Saul was ravaging the church, and entering house after house, he dragged off men and women and committed them to prison.
But Saul was going everywhere to destroy the church. He went from house to house, dragging out both men and women to throw them into prison.
Philip Proclaims Christ in Samaria
Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
Now those who were scattered went about preaching the word.
Philip Preaches in Samaria
But the believers who were scattered preached the Good News about Jesus wherever they went.
Philip, for example, went to the city of Samaria and told the people there about the Messiah.
And the crowds with one accord paid attention to what was being said by Philip, when they heard him and saw the signs that he did.
Crowds listened intently to Philip because they were eager to hear his message and see the miraculous signs he did.
For unclean spirits, crying out with a loud voice, came out of many who had them, and many who were paralyzed or lame were healed.
Simon the Magician Believes
But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.
But there was a man named Simon, who had previously practiced magic in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, saying that he himself was somebody great.
A man named Simon had been a sorcerer there for many years, amazing the people of Samaria and claiming to be someone great.
They all paid attention to him, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called Great.”
Everyone, from the least to the greatest, often spoke of him as “the Great One — the Power of God.”
And they paid attention to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his magic.
They listened closely to him because for a long time he had astounded them with his magic.
But when they believed Philip as he preached good news about the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.
But now the people believed Philip’s message of Good News concerning the Kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ. As a result, many men and women were baptized.
Then Simon himself believed and was baptized. He began following Philip wherever he went, and he was amazed by the signs and great miracles Philip performed.
Now when the apostles at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent to them Peter and John,
When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that the people of Samaria had accepted God’s message, they sent Peter and John there.
who came down and prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit,
As soon as they arrived, they prayed for these new believers to receive the Holy Spirit.
for he had not yet fallen on any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
The Holy Spirit had not yet come upon any of them, for they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Then they laid their hands on them and they received the Holy Spirit.
Then Peter and John laid their hands upon these believers, and they received the Holy Spirit.
Now when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,
When Simon saw that the Spirit was given when the apostles laid their hands on people, he offered them money to buy this power.
saying, “Give me this power also, so that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”
“Let me have this power, too,” he exclaimed, “so that when I lay my hands on people, they will receive the Holy Spirit!”
But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!
But Peter replied, “May your money be destroyed with you for thinking God’s gift can be bought!
You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart is not right before God.
You can have no part in this, for your heart is not right with God.
Repent, therefore, of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord that, if possible, the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.
Repent of your wickedness and pray to the Lord. Perhaps he will forgive your evil thoughts,
for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”
And Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that nothing of what you have said may come upon me.”
“Pray to the Lord for me,” Simon exclaimed, “that these terrible things you’ve said won’t happen to me!”
Now when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans.
After testifying and preaching the word of the Lord in Samaria, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. And they stopped in many Samaritan villages along the way to preach the Good News.
And he rose and went. And there was an Ethiopian, a eunuch, a court official of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasure. He had come to Jerusalem to worship
So he started out, and he met the treasurer of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under the Kandake, the queen of Ethiopia. The eunuch had gone to Jerusalem to worship,
and was returning, seated in his chariot, and he was reading the prophet Isaiah.
and he was now returning. Seated in his carriage, he was reading aloud from the book of the prophet Isaiah.
And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.”
The Holy Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and walk along beside the carriage.”
So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
Philip ran over and heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. Philip asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?”
And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.
The man replied, “How can I, unless someone instructs me?” And he urged Philip to come up into the carriage and sit with him.
Now the passage of the Scripture that he was reading was this:
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
“Like a sheep he was led to the slaughter
and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,
so he opens not his mouth.
The passage of Scripture he had been reading was this:
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
“He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.
And as a lamb is silent before the shearers,
he did not open his mouth.
In his humiliation justice was denied him.
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
Who can describe his generation?
For his life is taken away from the earth.”
And the eunuch said to Philip, “About whom, I ask you, does the prophet say this, about himself or about someone else?”
The eunuch asked Philip, “Tell me, was the prophet talking about himself or someone else?”
Then Philip opened his mouth, and beginning with this Scripture he told him the good news about Jesus.
So beginning with this same Scripture, Philip told him the Good News about Jesus.
And he commanded the chariot to stop, and they both went down into the water, Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.
He ordered the carriage to stop, and they went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, and went on his way rejoicing.
When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away. The eunuch never saw him again but went on his way rejoicing.