Acts 8-9

Acts 8

¹Saul was consenting to his death. A great persecution arose against the assembly which was in Jerusalem in that day. They were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except for the apostles.

²Devout men buried Stephen and lamented greatly over him.

³But Saul ravaged the assembly, entering into every house and dragged both men and women off to prison.

⁴Therefore those who were scattered abroad went around preaching the word.

⁵Philip went down to the city of Samaria and proclaimed to them the Christ.

⁶The multitudes listened with one accord to the things that were spoken by Philip when they heard and saw the signs which he did.

⁷For unclean spirits came out of many of those who had them. They came out, crying with a loud voice. Many who had been paralyzed and lame were healed.

⁸There was great joy in that city.

⁹But there was a certain man, Simon by name, who used to practice sorcery in the city and amazed the people of Samaria, making himself out to be some great one,

¹⁰to whom they all listened, from the least to the greatest, saying, “This man is that great power of God.”

¹¹They listened to him because for a long time he had amazed them with his sorceries.

¹²But when they believed Philip preaching good news concerning God’s Kingdom and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

¹³Simon himself also believed. Being baptized, he continued with Philip. Seeing signs and great miracles occurring, he was amazed.

¹⁴Now when the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them,

¹⁵who, when they had come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Spirit;

¹⁶for as yet he had fallen on none of them. They had only been baptized in the name of Christ Jesus.

¹⁷Then they laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit.

¹⁸Now when Simon saw that the Holy Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, he offered them money,

¹⁹saying, “Give me also this power, that whomever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.”

²⁰But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could obtain the gift of God with money!

²¹You have neither part nor lot in this matter, for your heart isn’t right before God.

²²Repent therefore of this, your wickedness, and ask God if perhaps the thought of your heart may be forgiven you.

²³For I see that you are in the poison of bitterness and in the bondage of iniquity.”

²⁴Simon answered, “Pray for me to the Lord, that none of the things which you have spoken happen to me.”

²⁵They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the Good News to many villages of the Samaritans.

²⁶Then an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, “Arise, and go toward the south to the way that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza. This is a desert.”

²⁷He arose and went; and behold, there was a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem to worship.

²⁸He was returning and sitting in his chariot, and was reading the prophet Isaiah.

²⁹The Spirit said to Philip, “Go near, and join yourself to this chariot.”

³⁰Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?”

³¹He said, “How can I, unless someone explains it to me?” He begged Philip to come up and sit with him.

³²Now the passage of the Scripture which he was reading was this, “He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. As a lamb before his shearer is silent, so he doesn’t open his mouth.

³³In his humiliation, his judgment was taken away. Who will declare His generation? For his life is taken from the earth.”

³⁴The eunuch answered Philip, “Who is the prophet talking about? About himself, or about someone else?”

³⁵Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this Scripture, preached to him about Jesus.

³⁶As they went on the way, they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Behold, here is water. What is keeping me from being baptized?”

³⁸He commanded the chariot to stand still, and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him.

³⁹When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, and the eunuch didn’t see him any more, for he went on his way rejoicing.

⁴⁰But Philip was found at Azotus. Passing through, he preached the Good News to all the cities until he came to Caesarea.

Acts 9

¹But Saul, still breathing threats and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

²and asked for letters from him to the synagogues of Damascus, that if he found any who were of the Way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.

³As he traveled, he got close to Damascus, and suddenly a light from the sky shone around him.

⁴He fell on the earth, and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

⁵He said, “Who are you, Lord?” The Lord said, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.

⁶But rise up and enter into the city, then you will be told what you must do.”

⁷The men who traveled with him stood speechless, hearing the sound, but seeing no one.

⁸Saul arose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. They led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.

⁹He was without sight for three days, and neither ate nor drank.

¹⁰Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias. The Lord said to him in a vision, “Ananias!” He said, “Behold, it’s me, Lord.”

¹¹The Lord said to him, “Arise and go to the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judah for one named Saul, a man of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying,

¹²and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and laying his hands on him, that he might receive his sight.”

¹³But Ananias answered, “Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he did to your saints at Jerusalem.

¹⁴Here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name.”

¹⁵But the Lord said to him, “Go your way, for he is my chosen vessel to bear my name before the nations and kings, and the children of Israel.

¹⁶For I will show him how many things he must suffer for my name’s sake.”

¹⁷Ananias departed and entered into the house. Laying his hands on him, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord, who appeared to you on the road by which you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

¹⁸Immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he received his sight. He arose and was baptized.

¹⁹He took food and was strengthened. Saul stayed several days with the disciples who were at Damascus.

²⁰Immediately in the synagogues he proclaimed the Christ, that he is the Son of God.

²¹All who heard him were amazed, and said, “Isn’t this he who in Jerusalem made havoc of those who called on this name? And he had come here intending to bring them bound before the chief priests!”

²²But Saul increased more in strength, and confounded the Jews who lived at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ.

²³When many days were fulfilled, the Jews conspired together to kill him,

²⁴but their plot became known to Saul. They watched the gates both day and night that they might kill him,

²⁵but his disciples took him by night and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket.

²⁶When Saul had come to Jerusalem, he tried to join himself to the disciples; but they were all afraid of him, not believing that he was a disciple.

²⁷But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and declared to them how he had seen the Lord on the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus.

²⁸He was with them entering into Jerusalem,

²⁹preaching boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus. He spoke and disputed against the Hellenists, but they were seeking to kill him.

³⁰When the brothers knew it, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

³¹So the assemblies throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were built up. They were multiplied, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit.

³²As Peter went throughout all those parts, he came down also to the saints who lived at Lydda.

³³There he found a certain man named Aeneas, who had been bedridden for eight years because he was paralyzed.

³⁴Peter said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus Christ heals you. Get up and make your bed!” Immediately he arose.

³⁵All who lived at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord.

³⁶Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which when translated means Dorcas. This woman was full of good works and acts of mercy which she did.

³⁷In those days, she became sick and died. When they had washed her, they laid her in an upper room.

³⁸As Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him not to delay in coming to them.

³⁹Peter got up and went with them. When he had come, they brought him into the upper room. All the widows stood by him weeping, and showing the tunics and other garments which Dorcas had made while she was with them.

⁴⁰Peter sent them all out, and knelt down and prayed. Turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up.

⁴¹He gave her his hand and raised her up. Calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.

⁴²This became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.

⁴³He stayed many days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.