The Book of Acts

The Book of Acts

The Book of Acts was written around 60-63 AD for the man Theophilus, who was recipient of Luke's earlier Gospel.

CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

1 The former treatise¹ have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach,
2 Until the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had chosen:
3 To whom also he shewed himself alive after his passion by many infallible proofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God:
4 And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me.
5 For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel?
7 And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.
8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost² is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.
9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel;
11 Which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.³
12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey⁴.
13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room⁵, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.
14 These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus⁶, and with his brethren.
15 And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about and hundred and twenty⁷,)
16 Men and brethren, this scripture must needs have been fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David spake before concerning Judas, which was guide to them that took Jesus.
17 For he was numbered with us, and had obtained part of this ministry.
18 Now this man purchased a field with the reward of iniquity⁸; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out.⁹
19 And it was known unto all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch as that field is called in their proper tongue, Aceldama, that is to say, The field of blood.
20 For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us,
22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection.
23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias.
24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen,
25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place.
26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles
1 In the Gospel I wrote to you earlier, O Theophilus, I set down in writing an account of all that Jesus began to do and teach,
2 Until the day he was received back into heaven, after he--through the Holy Spirit--had commissioned the apostles whom he had chosen.
3 It was to these same apostles that Jesus returned to alive after his suffering and death on the cross for forty days afterward, showing he was alive by many infallible proofs, and teaching about the Messianic Kingdom.
4 At one point, when he was with them as a group, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, “Which,” he said, “you have heard me speak of.
5 “For John truly ‘baptized with water,’ but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now!”
6 Now when the disciples were gathered together at one point, they asked him: Lord--will you now free Israel from Rome?
7 But he answered: It is none of your business to know what the Father has in mind, and when He will do it.
8 All you need to know is that you will receive power after the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will testify about me throughout Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and then the rest of the world! (However, you will see, as our story develops, that the apostles did not immediately do this, and that God had to light a fire under them to actually get them to go out and spread the Gospel as Jesus had commanded.)
9 Now after Jesus had said these things, in their sight he ascended in a cloud of glory until he was lost to view.
10 And while they gazed, awestruck, toward heaven, two men in white robes appeared.
11 They said: You men of Galilee--why do you stand and gaze up toward heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken from you up to heaven, will return in similar manner.
12 Then the apostles returned to Jerusalem from the Mount of Olives, which is under a mile from Jerusalem and within the amount of
distance a Jew can travel on the Sabbath.
13 When they reached the city, they entered an upper room in a house, where they lodged. Those staying there included: Peter, James, John, Andrew, Philip, Thomas, Bartholomew, Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon the Zealot, and Jude the brother of James.
14 These all, with one heart, devoted themselves to prayer with some of Jesus’ women followers, along with Miriam his mother, and his kinsmen.
15 During this period, Peter stood up amongst the hundred and twenty (chief) disciples of Jesus, and said:
16 Men and brothers: There is a prophecy that must be fulfilled which David made under the inspiration of the Spirit regarding Judas--the betrayer who led the mob to Jesus.
17 For he was numbered among us, and was a part of this ministry.
18 (As was prophesied,) Judas wound up purchasing the potter’s field with his blood money. And (--as his body hung on the tree until the rope broke--) he fell down and burst his bowels.
19 Note: Everyone living in Jerusalem knew about this, and they even named the field Aceldama, which means the blood field.
20 (Peter continued:) For it is written in the Psalms, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take.
21 So I suggest that from amongst the group of followers here who have been a part of our group during Jesus’ ministry,
22 Who were with us from the time of John’s baptism until Jesus was taken from us--that we choose and ordain one of them to replace Judas and give testimony of Jesus’ resurrection along with us.
23 So they selected two worthy candidates: Joseph called bar Sabbas, nicknamed Justus; and Matthias.
24 And they prayed, saying: You, Lord, who know the hearts of all men--show which of these two you want for this position,
25 So he can participate in the ministry and apostleship from which Judas, through his sin, fell so he could go to his own true place in hell.
26 So they cast lots and Matthias won, joining the eleven as the twelfth apostle (replacing Judas).

1. Presumed to be the Gospel of Luke.

2. It is important to note that the doctrine of the Trinity is not fully understood by the apostles yet, and that the Holy Spirit in this point in time is understood to be a euphemism for “the power of God” or “the inspiration of God.” Jesus’ words are thus perfectly consistent with the Jewish notion of the Spirit to this point, and the apostles understand His words to be saying they shall receive power (i.e. miracle-working power) after the Power of God comes upon them.

3. A point missed by most is the fact that when Jesus ascended into heaven, He arose with a “shout,” “the voice of the archangel” and the “trump of God,” since 1 Thess. 4:16 says this is how He returns, and this passage says Jesus will return in like manner as He left.

4. Probably meaning 2000 cubits, although in Exodus 16:29, the literal commandment seems to forbid leaving one’s house at all. By the time of Christ, however, rabbinic rulings had broadened this to the point that one could travel several miles under certain conditions.

5. This reference to “an upper room” has given birth to a common false belief about the events of Acts 2, which will be dealt with in the commentary notes for that chapter. The complete understanding of this notation is that this is simply where some of the apostles were staying in Jerusalem, and nothing more.

6. This is the last mention of Mary.

7. This number is suspiciously low. Since the Gospels record that the elders feared an uprising of the people if they took Jesus during the Passover Day because “the world is gone after him” (John 12:19), it is mind-boggling to number the followers of Christ at a paltry 120 members, especially as Paul (1 Cor. 15:6) mentions 500 believers. In all probability, this number refers not to the believers in Jerusalem, but to the number of apostles and elders in the faith, including also those from amongst the 70 disciples Jesus sent out in the Gospels. These elders may eventually have become a Christian Sanhedrin over time, and the number of 120 coincidentally equals the men in the Anshei Knesset HaGedolah, a Jewish quorum of the 2nd Temple period that made rabbinic clarifications to the Torah. This notion is given some credence by the fact that this group of 120 vote to elect Matthias to replace Judas, and we can presume it likely that only those who were long-term believers would have been qualified to choose between the two men. Note also that Peter uses the word “us” in verse 21, suggesting that this group has been with Christ from the time of John’s ministry, adding further credence to the idea that they are elders of the church and not a mixed group of apostles and lay people.

8. Recall that blood money can only be used for public works, and so this is why the Sadducees purchase a burial field with it.

9. Incorrectly thought by some to be a “contradiction” to the account in Matthew that Judas went out and hung himself. But since Judas hung himself during Passover, his corpse was undisturbed for days afterward due to religious prohibitions against touching a dead body. Finally, the rope broke and his body fell down, resulting in the unpleasant sight Peter refers to.

CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.¹
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where the were sitting.
3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.²
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.³
6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.
7 And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?⁴
8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born?
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia,
10 Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God.
12 And they were all amazed, and were in doubt, saying one to another, What meaneth this?
13 Others mocking said, These men are full of new wine.⁵
14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven⁶, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:
15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.⁷
16 But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your son and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:
23 Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:
24 Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.
25 For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.
30 Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with ad oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;
31 He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell⁸, neither his flesh did see corruption.
32 This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.
33 Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.
34 For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou of my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.
37 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?
38 Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.⁹
39 For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.¹⁰
40 And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward generation.
41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized:¹¹ and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.
42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.
43 And fear came upon every soul: and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
44 And all that believed were together, and had all things common;
45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.
46 And they, continuing daily with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
47 Praising God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.
1 Now when the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot) had arrived, they were in one accord at the Temple.
2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven like a mighty rushing wind, and it filled the entire Court of Women where they were sitting.
3 And (--as had happened at Sinai when the Law was given--) cloven tongues of fire appeared upon their heads.
4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in different languages as the Spirit enabled them to.
5 At this time, devout Jews from across the world were staying in Jerusalem for the Feast.
6 When they heard the noise, the crowd came to investigate, and they were puzzled because everyone heard them speaking in their own languages.
7 They were all amazed, saying to one another: Look--aren’t those people speaking all Galileans?
8 How is it we all hear them speaking fluently in our native languages?
9 Parthians, Medes, Elamites, Mesopotamians, (Hebrew-speaking) Judeans, those from Cappadocia, Pontus, and Turkey,
10 Phrygians, Pamphylians, Egyptians, Libyans, Cyrenians, and strangers from Rome, Jews and proselytes,
11 Cretes and Arabians--all of us hear them talking in fluent dialects about the wonderful deeds of God!
12 And they were dumbfounded, asking each other: What does this all mean?!
13 Others, mocking, said: These men are drunk on sweet wine!
14 But Peter, arising with the eleven other apostles, proclaimed: You men of Judea, and all you who dwell in Jerusalem, know this and hear my words!
15 These are not drunk as you think, since it’s only the third hour of the day.
16 But this is an example of what was spoken by the prophet Joel:
17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your son and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:
18 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:
20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come:
21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
22 You men of Israel, listen carefully! You all know about Jesus the Nazarene--a man who proved he had God’s approval by the miracles and signs he performed among you.
23 This same Jesus, who was allowed to fall into your hands by God’s sovereign foreknowledge and will, you took and--using the Romans to do your dirty work--crucified and murdered.
24 But God raised him up, having freed him from the pangs of death, because it was not possible that the grave could hold him back.
25 David prophesied about this, saying: I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:
26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:
27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell (Sheol), neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.
28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.
29 Men and brothers, let me speak freely about the Patriarch David, who is dead and buried, and whose tomb is here to this day.
30 David, being a prophet, and knowing that God had given his oath that a descendant of his--physically speaking--would be raised up as Messiah to sit upon his throne,
31 Foresaw and wrote that the same Messiah would die and be resurrected from the dead so his soul would not be left in Sheol, neither would his flesh rot and turn to bones.
32 It is this same Jesus that God resurrected, and we are all witnesses to it!
33 Therefore Jesus, having been exalted to the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of (authority to baptize in) the Holy Spirit, has now sent forth the Holy Spirit as you now see and hear.
34 For David is not the one who ascended into heaven, as he admitted when he wrote: The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou of my right hand,
35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool.
36 Therefore, let all the house of Israel know, in no uncertain terms, that God has made this same Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah!
37 Now when the crowd heard this, they were struck to the core with the implications of all this, and they asked Peter and the other apostles: Men and brothers--what shall we do (if we have killed the Messiah)?
38 Then Peter responded: Repent and be baptized, each of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins--and you will receive the promise of the Holy Spirit!
39 For this promise is made to you, your children, and to all generations of mankind, as many as the Lord our God will call!
40 Peter continued on with many other words, testifying about Jesus and calling the people to repentance, telling them: Save yourselves from this perverted generation (that Jesus prophesied would reap the judgment of God).
41 Then those who responded to the message were baptized joyfully, and that same day three thousand new souls were added to the Messianic community.
42 And they walked zealously in the apostles’ doctrines and teaching, fellowshipping together, taking Communion, and praying constantly.
43 Awe came upon many, for the apostles performed numerous signs and wonders.
44 And all the believers were like brothers, and called none of their possessions their own,
45 But sold their goods and possessions, distributing the proceeds to everyone who was in lack.
46 And they worshipped daily in the Temple in one accord, (taking Communion), and eating the love feast at various homes in a spirit of joy and absolute singleness of heart (and mind),
47 All the while praising God, and having favor with all the people. And the Lord daily added to the church as many as who were destined to be saved.

1. There is an absolute distinction between the “one place” listed in verse 1 here and the reference to “an upper room” in the last chapter. The group was almost certainly gathered in Solomon’s Porch (Acts 5:12) off the Court of Women, or in the Court of Women itself, since that court was the only place where commoners could “sit” in the Temple. As the text notes in 3:11, Solomon’s Porch was the group’s usual gathering place. The fact that the word “house” is used in no way substantiates the notion this event takes place in the Upper Room. The House was a term for the Temple.

2. This awesome event takes place during Pentecost and would have had incredible significance to the Jews who observed it. What we call Pentecost was the Jewish Festival of Shavuot, which, although the culmination of an agricultural Festival, also commemorated the giving of the Law at Sinai. Shavuot means “weeks,” and refers to a seven-week period after Passover in which the Jewish people sanctify themselves to represent Israel’s existing as a holy nation.

Jewish legend held that at the time the Law was given on Mount Sinai, the voice of God issued forth in all known languages and visibly formed as tongues of fire upon the heads of all who were present. Each was then asked personally if he would abide by the terms of the Law.

The Jews would have seen this as a direct parallel with the most important event of Jewish history, and some would have understood it to mean that the Kingdom of God had come to earth, and that the Law was now being written in the hearts of the people as prophesied in the Old Testament. It is at this time that the Chavod, the radiance or Glory Cloud of God, comes upon the apostles, manifesting in tongues of fire, while the Holy Spirit now activates His power through the apostles that will enable them to do great works, but more importantly to witness for Christ. A by-product of this is that the Holy Spirit manifests Tongues and enables the apostles to praise God supernaturally, speaking languages they do not normally know.

Some other interesting facts about Pentecost

Pentecost commemorates the marriage of God to Israel, and by extension Christ to His church.

The apostles would have stayed up all of the night before, praying and studying the Torah.

All would have been dressed in white.

It was by tradition the birthday of King David.

3. The foreigners are in Jerusalem because Pentecost/Shavuot is one of the three Festivals (the others being Pentecost and Tabernacles) during which the Jews are commanded to appear in the Holy City.

4. Further substantiation that these are not “120 believers from the Upper Room,” but the 12 Galilean apostles, and perhaps a few others.

5. Should be translated as: “Sweet wine.” It is incorrectly rendered as “new” wine because the wine was sweetest when newly made. Also, note that the crowd accuses them of being drunk on gleukos, which is incorrectly thought by some to be grape juice!

6. Note again that Peter doesn’t stand up with 120 believers, but only the “eleven” are specifically mentioned as being present.

7. It is noteworthy that the power of the Spirit upon the believers appears to the onlookers as something akin to human drunkenness. Despite the assertions of some, it is preposterous to believe that those observing the apostles equated Galileans speaking in known human languages with drunken behavior.

8. A false doctrine has arisen in Pentecost because of verses like this, which holds that Jesus went to hell and atoned for sin there. That doctrine is unsubstantiated by Scripture and is ultimately formed by misunderstanding an English translation of Greek text. The word here is Hades, the abode of the dead, not Gehenna, the flames of hell.

9. Yet another false doctrine arising both in and out of Pentecost is derived from this verse, asserting that forgiveness of sin is not accomplished except through baptism. However, baptism is simultaneous with repentance in the culture, and this is the basis upon which Peter makes his comments that otherwise could seem to suggest that baptism literally washes away sin. As we read through the writings of Paul, who breaks down the salvation process on a forensic level, we see a clarification lacking in other apostolic writings that baptism does not literally wash away sin, but rather is an outward response to an inward belief of faith. Romans 4:4, in fact, clearly declares this principle when it notes that Abraham received circumcision not as an efficacious act, but as only an outward sign of the righteousness and justification he already had beforehand.

10. An important verse contradicting the doctrine of groups who teach that certain “gifts” of the Spirit were only for the apostolic Age. Here, we see Peter proclaiming that what the apostles have experienced is for those yet to believe throughout the ages to come.

11. More evidence these events take place at the Temple--only the Temple mikvah facilities could have handled baptizing 3000 converts at a time.

CHAPTER 3

CHAPTER 3

1 Now Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour.
2 And a certain man lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple which is called Beautiful¹, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple;
3 Who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked an alms.
4 And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John, said, Look on us.
5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them.
6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.
7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up: and immediately his feet and ankle bones received strength.
8 And he leaping up stood, and walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God.
9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God:
10 And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple: and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
11 And as the lame man which was healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering.
12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this man to walk?
13 The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; who ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go.
14 But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer² to be granted unto you;
15 And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses.
16 And his name through faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know: yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all.
17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers.
18 But those things, which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled.
19 Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out³, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;
20 And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:
21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.
22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.
25 Ye are the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
26 Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.
1 One day, Peter and John went to the Temple for the daily prayers at 3 PM.
2 There was a certain man born crippled, who was laid every day by the Beautiful Gate to beg alms from those going into the Temple.
3 When he saw Peter and John walking up, he automatically held up his bowl, asking for alms.
4 Peter, setting his gaze on him along with John, said: Look at us!
5 This caught the man’s attention, and he looked over at the two, expecting them to give him some money.
6 But Peter said: Silver and gold I have none of--but what I do have, I give to you: In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk!
7 Then he grasped the man by the right hand and pulled him to his feet. As he did this, his feet and ankles were strengthened to bear his weight, and they became whole!
8 The man went wild with joy as he walked about. Then he followed Peter and John into the Temple, walking, jumping, and shouting praises to God.
9 Everyone there saw him walking and praising God,
10 And they knew this was the man who regularly begged at the Beautiful Gate; and they were awestruck at what had happened to him.
11 And as the man who had been healed embraced Peter and John, all the people hurried over to Solomon’s Porch, wondering what was going on.
12 When Peter saw the crowd gathering, he spoke to the people, saying: You men of Israel--why are you surprised at this? Or why are you staring at us, as if--through our own power or holiness--we are the ones who made him walk?
13 The God of our fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did this to glorify His son Jesus--the one whom you gave over to Pilate and denied in the governor’s face when he was determined to let him go.
14 You denied the Holy and just One, and asked for a murderer (--bar Abbas--) to be released to you;
15 And you killed the Prince of Life, whom God raised from the dead. We are witnesses to that fact!
16 And it is faith in the person and position of Jesus that made this man, whom you all see and have known, strong enough to walk! And this happened before your very eyes!
17 Now brothers, I know that it was through ignorance that you rejected Jesus, as also did your rulers.
18 But these things, bad as they were, happened to fulfill what God had prophesied through the mouths of the prophets: that the Messiah would suffer--and he has thus fulfilled those prophecies!
19 Repent now, all of you, and turn to God so your sins may truly be blotted out, and God will send you the appointed times of (spiritual) refreshment.
20 He will also send back this same Jesus we’ve told you of.
21 But for now, heaven has received him until all that’s been foretold by the holy prophets since the world began comes to pass.
22 Truly, Moses warned our ancestors when he said: A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear in all things whatsoever he shall say unto you.
23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
24 Yes, and all the prophets, from Samuel onward, have likewise foretold these times we’re in.
25 You are the descendants of the prophets, and inheritors of the covenant that God made with our ancestors when He told Abraham: And in thy seed shall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
26 It was to you first that God sent His son Jesus--whom He raised from the dead--to bless you in turning every one of you from his iniquities.

1. Most scholars identify this as what is otherwise known as the Nicanor gate, a huge edifice that separated the Court of Gentiles from the Court of Women. That gate, named for a Greek captain slain by the Hasmoneans, was magnificently beautiful, around 50 feet wide and 60 feet tall, having been crafted in Corinth from bronze polished so brightly that it looked as if the gates were made of gold. A new theory holds that the true rendering of the text should be the “ripe gate,” referring to a different gate through which fruit offerings passed during the Feast of Tabernacles.

2. Barabbas.

3. Note that baptism isn’t mentioned in connection with the blotting out of sin!

CHAPTER 4

CHAPTER 4

1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.¹
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.
5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers, and elders, and scribes,
6 And Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem.²
7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what power, or by what name, have ye done this?
8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel,
9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole;
10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole.
11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner.
12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus.
14 And beholding the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among themselves,
16 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.
18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.
20 For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.
21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.
22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed.
23 And being let go, they went to their own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders had said unto them.
24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is:
25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
27 For of a truth against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod, and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gathered together,
28 For to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done.
29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word,
30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus.
31 And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness.
32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common.
33 And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus: and great grace was upon them all.
34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet³: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.
36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas, (which is, being interpreted, The son of consolation,) a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus,
37 Having land⁴, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
1 As they continued to preach to the people, the priests, the Levite in charge of the guards, and the Sadducees accosted Peter and John.
2 They were furious that the two were teaching doctrines affirming resurrection from the dead, using Jesus as proof of that.
3 So they dragged Peter and John off and locked them away until morning, for it was now dusk.
4 But before they did this, five thousand adult men believed the message about Jesus.
5 Now the next day, the city rulers, the Jewish elders, the Torah teachers,
6 Together with the former High Priest Annas, the current High Priest Caiaphas--with John, Alexander, and the rest of Caiaphas’ kinsmen--gathered at Jerusalem (and formed a sanhedrin to deal with the issue).
7 When they had brought Peter and John (along with the healed man) and stood them up in their midst, they demanded to know: Through what sort of power, or as whose representatives, have you done this thing (--teaching heretical doctrines, and supposedly doing a miracle)?
8 Then Peter, filled with the (wisdom and boldness of) the Holy Spirit, answered: You rulers of the people, and elders of Israel:
9 If you’re inquiring as to how this crippled man was healed and made whole,
10 Be it known to you, and all Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, and whom God raised from the dead--by him does this man now stand before you made whole!
11 This is the stone which was rejected by you builders that has become the chief cornerstone!
12 Neither is there salvation in any other name, for there is no other name given under heaven to men, by which we can be saved!
13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and understood that they were lay people with no religious training from any known yeshiva of Israel, they were amazed. But they were also recognized as having been disciples of Jesus.
14 And seeing the man standing there (whom everyone in town knew was the beggar from the Beautiful Gate), they had no answer to explain away this miracle.
15 But when they ordered the three escorted from the council chamber, they conferred among themselves,
16 And said: What shall we do to these men? (We thought that when Jesus died, this would all be over, but) they have done an amazing miracle in front of everyone in Jerusalem, and we can’t explain our way around it!
17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us threaten them, and order them not to speak or teach to anyone in the name of Jesus.
18 Then they called Peter and John back into the chamber and ordered them to stop all evangelizing and teaching in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John stood up to them and replied: You tell us--do you think God would have us obey you rather than Him?
20 We have seen what we have seen, and have heard what we have heard, and God forbid we do other than shout it from the housetops!
21 So after the council threatened them further, they released them because they could think of no charge to fabricate against the two, what with thousands of people in the Temple courts glorifying God over what had been done.
22 For the man who was healed was over forty years old (and everyone in town had seen him crippled and begging in the same spot for decades).
23 Once they were released, Peter and John went back to the community and reported what the chief priests and elders had told them.
24 When the other followers of Jesus heard that, they lifted their voices to God in unison, and said: Lord, you are God, who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them.
25 By the mouth of your servant David, you said: Why did the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things?
26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ.
27 Truly Herod, Pontius Pilate, and the Gentiles, and all the people of Israel banded together against Your holy child Jesus, whom You anointed (Messiah),
28 To fulfill what was in control of your hand, and in Your divine plan from the beginning.
29 Now, Lord, look down and see their threats, and grant to Your servants the boldness to speak Your Message,
30 By stretching forth Your hand to heal, and allowing signs and wonders to be done in the name of Your holy child Jesus!
31 After they prayed this, the place they were assembled at was shaken, and they were (again) filled with the Holy Spirit, and they proclaimed the Message of God with boldness.
32 And the multitude of believers were of one heart and soul, and none of them claimed their possessions as their own, but they shared what they had with all fellow believers who were in need.
33 And with great miracle-working power, the apostles testified to the reality of Jesus’ resurrection, and great grace from God was on all the community.
34 Neither was there any within the community who lacked anything, for as many who were wealthy and had land or houses sold them and brought the money,
35 Giving it to the apostles to distribute as needed, and they, in turn, gave to every man as he had need.
36 And a man named Joses, who was nicknamed Barnabas--meaning Son of Consolation--by the apostles, a Levite from Cypress,
37 Sold some land he had there and brought the money, presenting it to the apostles to use as they thought best.

1. Recall that the Sadducees absolutely reject the doctrines of miracles and a Resurrection.

2. Here is another example of the Sadducees either using their own Sanhedrin or else forming one on the spot to deal with the problem of Christianity. It is not until Chapter 5, when Gamaliel is mentioned, that we first see the true Sanhedrin in operation, it being called a “Senate.”

3. An idiom meaning to give the apostles the authority to disburse the funds as they saw fit.

4. This is an extremely important verse. The Torah forbade Levites from owning land (Num. 18:20, Deut. 15:27), yet we see that Barnabas, a Levite, owned land in Cypress. This was permissible because, as determined by the sages, parts of the Torah applied only to the land of Israel itself. Thus, Levites who lived outside of Israel were exempt from observing laws like this.

CHAPTER 5

CHAPTER 5

1 But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession,
2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and to keep back part of the price of the land?
4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power?¹ why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
5 And Ananias hearing these words fell down, and gave up the ghost: and great fear came on all them that heard these things.
6 And the young men arose, wound him up, and carried him out, and buried him.
7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when his wife, not knowing what was done, came in.
8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much? And she said, Yea, for so much.
9 Then Peter said unto her, How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord? behold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and shall carry thee out.
10 Then fell she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost: and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband.²
11 And great fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things.
12 And by the hands of the apostles were many signs and wonders wrought among the people; (and they were all with one accord in Solomon's porch.
13 And of the rest durst no man join himself to them: but the people magnified them.
14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes both of men and women.)
15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them.
16 There came also a multitude out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits: and they were healed every one.
17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,) and were filled with indignation,
18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.
19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of this life.
21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But the high priest came, and they that were with him, and called the council together, and all the senate³ of the children of Israel and sent to the prison to have them brought.
22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned, and told,
23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors: but when we had opened, we found no man within.
24 Now when the high priest and the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted of them whereunto this would grow.
25 Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standing in the temple, and teaching the people.
26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence: for they feared the people, lest they should have been stoned.
27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council: and the high priest asked them,
28 Saying, Did not we straitly command you that ye should not teach in this name? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood upon us.
29 Then Peter and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men.
30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree.
31 Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins.
32 And we are his witnesses of these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him.⁴
33 When they heard that, they were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them.
34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel⁵, a doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space;
35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men.
36 For before these days rose up Theudas⁶, boasting himself to be somebody; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.
37 After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after him: he also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.
38 And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought:
39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God.
40 And to him they agreed: and when they had called the apostles, and beaten them, they commanded that the should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go.
41 And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name.
42 And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
1 But there was a man named Ananias who, with Sapphira his wife, sold some land.
2 He and his wife held back part of the proceeds while still claiming they had donated the entire amount to the apostles to use as they thought best.
3 But Peter said: Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to cause you to lie to the Holy Spirit, and keep back part of the money you sold the land for?
4 After selling your land, wasn’t the money yours to do with as you wished? Why have you plotted like this in your heart? It is not men you have lied to, but God!
5 At hearing these words, Ananias fell down dead, and a great fear fell upon those who (saw and) heard of this.
6 Some young men in the community then rose up, wrapped him in a shroud, carried him out of the city, and buried him.
7 Three hours later, his wife came in, not knowing what had happened.
8 Peter asked her: Did you sell some land for such-and-such a price? And she said: Yes--for that price.
9 Then Peter told her: How is it that you both conspired to trick the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they shall carry you out as well!
10 Immediately, Sapphira fell down dead at Peter’s feet, and the young men returning from Ananias’ burial came in and found her lying there. Then they carried her out to bury next to her husband.
11 And great fear came upon the whole church, and upon as many as heard of these incidents.
12 And through the apostles were many miraculous signs and wonders done among the people; and the Messianic community, with one heart, gathered regularly in Solomon’s Porch to worship.
13 Others were afraid to join them publicly, but everyone esteemed them.
14 And many more believers were added to the ranks of the Lord, both men and women.
15 So many people believed, that they brought the sick out into the streets, laying them on sleeping mats and couches, that even Peter’s shadow would fall upon some of them (and heal them).
16 People also came in from the countryside around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and the demon-possessed, and every person was healed.
17 Finally, it was too much for the High Priest, and he rose up with his fellow Sadducees in rage,
18 And ordered the apostles arrested and jailed.
19 But that night an angel of the Lord opened the doors and brought them out, saying:
20 Go stand in the Temple, and spread the testimony of this life to the people!
21 When they heard that, they returned to the Temple early in the morning and continued to teach. Meanwhile, Caiaphas and his cronies came together and convened both their city Sanhedrin, along with the Great Sanhedrin of Israel, to come up with a joint solution to the problem of the disciples. So they ordered the pair brought forth.
22 But when the officers came to the jail and found them gone, they returned, saying:
23 The jail was locked tight, and the guards were standing outside the doors--but when we unlocked them, the prisoners were gone!
24 Now when the High Priest, the Levite over the Temple guards, and the chief priests were told this, they wondered what new rumors would arise.
25 Then someone came in and told them: The men you jailed are out in the Temple courts, teaching their doctrines to the masses!
26 The Levite in command of the guards then went out and escorted them peacefully to the assembly, because they feared the crowds might stone them if they abused them in public.
27 So when they had brought them before the two Sanhedrins, the High Priest spoke, saying:
28 Didn’t we command you not to teach as representatives of Jesus?! Instead, you’ve filled Jerusalem with your doctrines, and on top of that, you’re blaming us for Jesus’ death (when it was the Romans who crucified him)!
29 Then Peter and the other apostles replied: We must obey God, rather than man.
30 The God of our fathers raised Jesus--whom you slew and crucified on a tree--from the dead!
31 God exalted Jesus to His right hand to be a Prince and a Savior, to lead Israel to repentance and provide forgiveness of its sins!
32 And we are bearing witness to these things--as is the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those obeying Him as their ruler (rather than you hypocrites)!
33 When they heard this, Caiaphas’ group was enraged, and began clamoring for their execution.
34 Then the President of the Great Sanhedrin, Hillel’s grandson Gamaliel--a Pharisee expert in the Torah who was respected by everyone--stood up in the assembly and called for the apostles to be escorted from the chamber.
35 After they were gone, he spoke: You men of Israel, be careful what you do regarding these men.
36 In the past, Theudas rose up as a revolutionary, boasting of himself, and gathering a band of four hundred men, all of whom eventually were slain or put to flight.
37 After him, Judas the Galilean arose in the days of Augustus‘ taxation and drew many of the people to him in rebellion. He died in turn, and his followers scattered to the four winds.
38 So this is my advice: Stop harassing these men, and leave them alone. If these doctrines or apparent miracles are of man, they will bear no fruit,and die of their own accord.
39 But if they are of God you cannot stop it, and you will find yourselves actually fighting against God! (And you know there is no hope for you in that event.)
40 So the two Sanhedrins agreed with his suggestion, and after they summoned back the apostles and gave them a beating for good measure, they told them not to speak as Jesus’ representatives. Then they released them.
41 The apostles left the meeting, rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer as the ambassadors of Christ,
42 And they did not cease to teach and preach Jesus Christ daily in the Temple, and in every house they visited.

1. This is an important verse to contradict the legalistic teachings of some ministers and denominations. Tithing, though established in principle in the Scripture, and though a vehicle through which God blesses both giver and receiver, is not a requirement, nor is there a call to Christians to sell all they own in order to serve Christ.

2. One reason such a harsh judgment falls on this pair is that those who sold their goods off to give them to the community were thereafter put on the dole of the church, which saw to their needs. Ananias and Sapphira were thus committing an act of fraud against the church, intending to accept the charity of the church in meeting their everyday needs while keeping hidden a reserve of cash.

3. Only now is the true Sanhedrin, chaired by Gamaliel, called to assess the question of Christianity.

4. This verse is typically viewed as saying, “God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey Him.” The problem with this notion is that it takes what Peter affirms in Acts 8 to Simon is a gift of God, and suggests it instead can somehow be earned through mere obedience. It also contradicts Paul’s words to the Galatians that the Holy Spirit manifests because of faith alone, apart from their obeying commandments. So to determine what Peter is really saying here, we must first note that verses 28 and 29 seem to set the stage for what is said in verse 31. Next, we see that Peter is not speaking in a present or future tense (i.e. not “God gives the Holy Spirit to those who obey him”); he is actually speaking in the past tense (“and we are witnesses of these (things) and the Holy Spirit which God gave to the ones obeying Him,” in Greek). If we then note that the word translated as obey is rarely used in the New Testament, and means to obey someone as a ruler, we can see that Peter is actually responding to the elders’ attack in verse 28 condemning the apostles for not obeying their command to stop preaching in the name of Jesus. Peter thus is not making some theological point that the Holy Spirit is earned and activated through obedience, but he is saying that those who have rejected the commands of the elders to disavow Christ, in favor of following God rather than man, are the ones whom God is doing miracles of the Spirit through to testify who and what Christ is. This attack on their authority thus propels the Sadducees into a fury in the next verse, causing them to want to kill the two apostles.

5. Gamaliel, whose name means “God is my reward” is one of the most important figures in Jewish history. He was the first Jewish sage to be given the exalted title of rabban, meaning “our master.” Gamaliel, grandson of Hillel, is in many ways the chief cornerstone of rabbinic Judaism. Paul was supposedly a student of his, and mention of Paul is thought by some to be seen in Shabbat 30b of the Talmud, which mentions a student of Gamaliel who “displayed impudence in matters of learning.”

Some sayings of Gamaliel

Make to thyself a teacher; and remove thyself from what is doubtful; and do not often tithe by mental valuation.

--R. H. Charles, ed., The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament in English, vol. 2.

A Gentile once brought fish to Rabban Gamaliel He said, “They are permitted, but I have no wish to accept them from him.”

--Betzah 3.2, Danby, Mishna, p. 185. Apparently, even Gamaliel--although he denied Shammai’s edicts against Gentiles were binding--had his own prejudice against interacting with Gentiles, to the point of refusing food from them!

6. Often cited by skeptics as an error, for Josephus mentions a “Theudas” arising a decade later than this event. Actually, Theudas is usable as a nickname for a variety of Greek names such as Theodosius, and Gamaliel is probably speaking of someone other than the man Josephus refers to.

CHAPTER 6

CHAPTER 6

1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.¹
2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.²
3 Wherefore, brethren, look ye out among you seven men of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost³ and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business.
4 But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.
5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch:
6 Whom they set before the apostles: and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them.⁴
7 And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly; and a great company of the priests⁵ were obedient to the faith.
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.
9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synagogue of the Libertines, and Cyrenians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen.⁶
10 And they were not able to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake.
11 Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God.
12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council,
13 And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law:
14 For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us.⁷
15 And all that sat in the council⁸, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of and angel.
1 In time, as the community swelled with members, complaints arose on the part of Greek-speaking proselytes to the faith against the Jewish believers, because their widows were being short-changed in the daily dole.
2 Then the twelve called the community together and told them: It’s not good that we must set aside preaching the Message of God to go hand money out at tables.
3 Therefore, brothers, select seven men from among you of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we can appoint over this ministry,
4 So we can devote ourselves full time to prayer and ministering the Gospel.
5 The idea pleased everyone, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, along with Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte from Antioch.
6 These were brought before the apostles; and after praying, they laid hands on them and ordained them for this ministry.
7 So the Message of God went forth, and the number of believers in Jerusalem greatly increased. Even many of the (Sadducee) priests came to obey the faith.
8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, performed great wonders and miracles among the people.
9 Then some (proselytes to Judaism) from the synagogue of the Libertines (--the Freed Slaves--) who were made up of Cyrenians, Alexandrians, Cilicians and some from Turkey, argued with Stephen.
10 But they were unable to counter the wisdom of the Spirit by which he spoke.
11 So they came up with some false witnesses who made a charge against him, saying: We heard this man speak blasphemously against Moses and God!
12 And they stirred up the people, the city leaders, and the Torah teachers, who rose up and dragged Stephen off to the Sanhedrin.
13 False witnesses came forth saying: This man continually blasphemes this Holy Place and the Torah!
14 We’ve heard him claim that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy the Holy Place, and will change the traditions we inherited from Moses!
15 And all that sat in the Sanhedrin, who gazed upon him, saw his face shining as if it were the face of an angel.

1. Here again, the bigotry of the Jews against Gentiles is shown, for even though this was the Spirit-empowered church of Acts, fleshly prejudice resulted in Gentile converts being treated as second-class in comparison to Jews.

2. ‘Serving tables’ isn’t meant in the sense of serving in the way a waitress does, but means to sit at a table and receive or distribute funds in the way Levi, for instance, sat at the receipt of custom when Christ called him.

3. “Full of the Holy Ghost” is not a reference to having Charismatic gifts, but refers to the anointing and wisdom of the Spirit as the second part of the verse illustrates. “Holy Spirit,” remember, was a synonym in Judaism for the wisdom or power of God before it was understood as the third Person of the Trinity.

4. An example of ordination and empowerment. It should be noted that Hebrews 6 lists the laying on of hands as one of the six essentials of Christianity.

5. This may be the only record in the New Testament of Sadducees converting, though not all Sadducees were of the same social class.

6. These appear to be Hellenistic groups.

7. Although distorted by false witnesses, this verse is crucial in deriving some of the teachings of the early church that are contradicted by some of my Messianic brethren today who believe God requires all believers to observe Mosaic Law. From their words, we can see that Stephen apparently taught that the Temple, heart and soul of Jewish worship, was going to pass into history and be destroyed, and with it Mosaic Law would somehow be overturned and ‘changed.’ This doesn’t mean that Stephen and the early believers threw the Torah into the trash and ceased to keep the customs and commandments they had grown up in, but certainly the place of the Torah in the believer’s life, along with its function and purpose, were forever altered because Christ had fulfilled it in its entirety, and placed the spirit of Torah into the hearts of those who were His. Stephen’s ultimate point was probably the very message that Paul came to embrace: that God would not accept someone on the basis of their obedience and lifestyle (in fact, the time was coming when most of the commandments couldn’t even be followed with the fall of the Temple), but God would require all to come to Him through faith in Messiah, the true Temple of mediation between Man and God.

8. Whether this “council” is the Great Sanhedrin or the Sadducee city council is unclear. The fact that Paul is present suggests it was former, but one cannot say with certainty.

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7

1 Then said the high priest, Are these things so?
2 And he said, Men, brethren, and fathers, hearken; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran,
3 And said unto him, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee.¹
4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, wherein ye now dwell.
5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on: yet he promised that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child.
6 And God spake on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years.
7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.
8 And he gave him the covenant of circumcision: and so Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eight day; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat the twelve patriarchs.
9 And the patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt: but God was with him,
10 And delivered him out of all his afflictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt; and he made him governor over Egypt and all his house.
11 Now there came a dearth over all the land of Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and our fathers found no sustenance
12 But when Jacob heard that there was corn in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first.
13 And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh.
14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him, and all his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls.
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers,
16 And were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem.
17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt,
18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph.
19 The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, and evil entreated our fathers, so that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live.
20 In which time Moses was born, and was exceeding fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months:
21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own son.
22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.
23 And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Israel.
24 And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian:
25 For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver them: but they understood not.
26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren; why do ye wrong one to another?
27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us?
28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian yesterday?
29 Then fled Moses at this saying, and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons.
30 And when forty years were expired, there appeared to him in the wilderness of mount Sinai an angel of the Lord in a flame of fire in a bush.
31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him,
32 Saying, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold.
33 Then said the Lord to him, Put off thy shoes from thy feet: for the place where thou standest is holy ground.
34 I have seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groaning, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt.
35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God send to be ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared to him in the bush.
36 He brought them out, after that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty years.
37 This is that Moses, which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 This is he, that was in the church in the wilderness with the angel² which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers: who received the lively³ oracles to give unto us:
39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt,
40 Saying unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him.
41 And they made a calf in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands.
42 Then God turned, and gave them up to worship the host of heaven; as it is written in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?
43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that he should make it according to the fashion that he had seen.⁴
45 Which also our fathers that came after brought in with Jesus⁵ into the possession of the Gentiles, whom God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David;
46 Who found favour before God, and desired to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob.
47 But Solomon built him an house.
48 Howbeit the most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands; as saith the prophet,
49 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
51 Ye stiffnecked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost: as your fathers did, so do ye.
52 Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted? and they have slain them which shewed before of the coming of the just One; of whom ye have been now the betrayers and murderers:
53 Who have received the law by the disposition of angels⁶, and have not kept it.
54 When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth.
55 But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,
56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.⁷
57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,
58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul⁸.
59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.
60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.
1 Then Caiaphas asked: Are these accusations true?
2 To this, Stephen replied: Men, brothers, and elders of Israel, listen! The God of glory revealed Himself to our ancestor Abraham when he was a dweller in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Haran.
3 He told him, Go leave this country and your relatives, and come to a land that I will show you.
4 So he left the land of the Chaldeans, and lived in Haran. After his father had died, God led Abraham to Judea, where you all live now.
5 But he did not give it to him at that time as an inheritance, nor did Abraham even set foot on the land where Jerusalem now is, but God promised that He would give it to him, and his descendants after him as their own--even though Abraham as yet had no son.
6 God also prophesied to him that his descendants would travel to a strange land, and the people there would bring them into bondage and mistreat them for four hundred years.
7 “And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge,” God said, “and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place.”
8 And God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham had Isaac, and circumcised him on his eighth day of birth. Then Isaac had Jacob (and did likewise), and Jacob had the twelve Patriarchs (continuing the custom).
9 But the Patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph as a slave into Egypt. But God was with him,
10 And delivered him out of his afflictions, giving him favor and wisdom in the eyes of Pharaoh, the King of Egypt; and Pharaoh made him the overseer over Egypt and all that was his.
11 In time, a great drought and famine hit both Egypt and Canaan, bringing great trouble, and our ancestors could find nothing to eat.
12 But when Jacob heard that wheat was to be had in Egypt, he sent our Patriarchal ancestors there first.
13 The second time they went there, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and introduced them to Pharaoh.
14 Then Joseph sent them back with a message to his father Jacob to return with all his family, totaling seventy-five people.
15 So Jacob went down into Egypt and died, as did the Patriarchs.
16 All of them were carried into Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham bought from the sons of Hamor, the founder of Shechem.
17 But when the time of the promised deliverance God swore about to Abraham drew near, the Hebrew population exploded in Egypt,
18 Until another Pharaoh came to power who did not know about Joseph.
19 This Pharaoh plotted against our people, and forced our ancestors to expose their male children, to try to kill off our race.
20 In this time Moses, an exceedingly handsome child, was born and then brought up for three months in his father’s house.
21 Then, when they finally cast him out and exposed him to the elements, Pharaoh’s daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son.
22 This resulted in Moses learning all the wisdom Egypt had to offer, and he became mighty in word and deed.
23 Now when he was forty years old, it came into his heart that he should visit his brothers, the children of Israel.
24 And seeing one of them being mistreated, he defended the man being abused, and slew the Egyptian harming him.
25 He thought that this would show his brother Jews how that God was going to use him to deliver them from bondage, but they did not understand.
26 For the next day, when he came upon two of them fighting, he broke them up, hoping to make peace between them, saying, “Men, you are brothers! Why fight like this?!”
27 But the instigator pushed him back, and said, “Who made you a ruler and judge over us?!
28 “Are you planning to kill me like you did the Egyptian yesterday?!”
29 Hearing this, Moses fled Egypt, and was a sojourner in the land of Midian, where he had two sons.
30 And after forty years there (--when he had completely abandoned any thought of being a deliverer to his people--) an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a burning bush.
31 When Moses beheld the sight, he was amazed. Then, as he came up to investigate, the voice of the Lord came to him,
32 Saying, “I am the God of your ancestors--the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob!” Then Moses shook in fear and dared not look.
33 The Lord told him, “Take your sandals off, for this is holy ground you stand upon.
34 “I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt, and I have heard their cries. I have come down to deliver them. Get up--I will now send you into Egypt!”
35 The same Moses, whom they had refused, saying, “Who made you a ruler and a judge?” was the same one God sent to be a ruler and deliverer through the power of the angel who had appeared in the bush.
36 So Moses brought them out after showing them signs and wonders in Egypt, the Red Sea, and in the wilderness for forty years.
37 This is the same Moses who said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me; him shall ye hear.
38 It was also Moses who was with the congregation in the wilderness and was intercessor between it and the angel that spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and who--with our ancestors--received living words of wisdom for us.
39 Our ancestors would not obey him, but rejected him as their hearts turned back to Egypt (and its ways).
40 For they said to Aaron: “Make us idols of some gods to lead us, for we do not know what has happened to Moses, who led us out of Egypt!”
41 Then they made a calf at that time (to honor the goddess Hathor/Isis), and performed a sacrifice, being proud of what they had created with their own hands.
42 So God stepped back and allowed them to worship the evil beings of the heavens (represented by heavenly bodies), as was acknowledged in the Scriptures: O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices by the space of forty years in the wilderness?
43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made to worship them: and I will carry you away beyond Babylon.
44 These same people had the Tabernacle of Witness with them in the wilderness, the one God revealed to Moses in outlining its design and construction.
45 That same tabernacle our ancestors, in turn, took with them when Joshua led them into the Promised Land, with God driving out before them the Gentiles who had lived there previously. This happened until the days of David.
46 Now David found favor with God, and he asked permission to build a temple to the God of Jacob.
47 But it was Solomon who actually did this.
48 In any event, the Most High does not live in temples made with human hands, as the prophet Isaiah said:
45 Heaven is my throne, and earth is my footstool: what house will ye build me? saith the Lord: or what is the place of my rest?
50 Hath not my hand made all these things?
51 (My point in all this, is that the Jewish people have a bad habit of initially rejecting the man God wants to use to deliver them. That, or they kill the prophets God sends to call them to repentance--and how you are proving that!) You stubborn people, uncircumcised in heart and hearing--you always resist the Holy Spirit (and His call to repentance)! As your ancestors did--so you do!
52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? Your ancestors, in their days, slew the ones who warned them, and when the just One came, you became his betrayers and murderers!
53 Yes, you--who received the Torah that was handed over to you by angels, but still have not kept it!
54 Now when they heard these denunciations, they exploded with rage.
55 But Stephen, being filled with the Holy Spirit, gazed up into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at God’s right hand.
56 He announced: Look! I see a vision of the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!
57 Then the entire assembly howled with anger and covered their ears (at this blasphemy) as they charged at him.
58 They dragged him outside of Jerusalem to stone him, and the witnesses (--who had to throw the first stones--) left their cloaks with a young man named Saul to stand watch over.
59 And as they stoned Stephen, he called out: Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!
60 Then he knelt down and cried loudly: Lord, don’t hold this sin against them! And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

1. It should be noted, as verse 4 shows, that Abraham disobeyed this command and stayed with his father until the man died. Only then did he follow the course God showed, and again he only partially obeyed since he took Lot with him.

2. Though usually presumed to be a manifestation of Jesus, the “angel” had to be an angel, and not Jesus! We know this because the Book of Hebrews makes the distinction between the Law given by angels, and the New covenant proclaimed by the Son of God Himself.

3. “Lively” is better understood as: “Living.”

4. It is very possible that Moses was given a vision of a heavenly Temple from which he diagrammed the earthly Tabernacle.

5. The “Jesus” mentioned here is actually Joshua. Remember that Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua. Stephen’s point is that just as the Hebrews could not be led into the Promised Land by Moses, but by Joshua, so God was showing that one will not enter heaven through obeying the commandments given through Moses, but only through following Jesus.

6. Jewish tradition held that angelic messengers sent from God gave the Torah. Angels were also believed to have watched over the camp of Israel, and to disburse judgment on those who had committed impropriety, which Paul alludes to in 1 Cor. 11:10.

7. A problematic verse for Trinitarians for no mention is made of the Holy Spirit. One can speculate, however, that the Holy Spirit is not seen in this Theophany because He is presented in the Scripture as working directly on the earth as the agent of God’s drawing mankind to salvation (John 16:7-15).

8. Otherwise known to us as Paul. Thievery was commonplace in Jerusalem, and it would have been appropriate for a guard to be set over the people’s clothing during a public stoning.

CHAPTER 8

CHAPTER 8

1 And Saul was consenting unto his death¹. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem²; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles.
2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over him.
3 As for Saul, he made havock of the church, entering into every house, and haling men and women committed them to prison.³
4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad went every where preaching the word.
5 Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria⁴, and preached Christ unto them.
6 And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.
7 For unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came out of many that were possessed with them: and many taken with palsies, and that were lame, were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 But there was a certain man, called Simon⁵, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery, and bewitched the people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some great one:
10 To whom they all gave heed, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God.
11 And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched them with sorceries.
12 But when they believed Philip preaching the things concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women⁶.
13 Then Simon himself believed⁷ also: and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, and wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done.
14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John:
15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost:
16 (For as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.)
17 Then laid they their hands on them, and they received the Holy Ghost.
18 And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he offered them money,
19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost.
20 But Peter said unto him, Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money.
21 Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter: for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.
22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgive thee.
23 For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity.
24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray ye to the Lord for me⁸, that none of these things which ye have spoke come upon me.
25 And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.
26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go toward the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert.
27 And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch⁹ of great authority under Candace¹⁰ queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship,
28 Was returning, and sitting in his chariot read Esaias the prophet.
29 Then the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot.
30 And Philip ran thither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest thou what thou readest?
31 And he said, How can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him.
32 The place of the scripture which he read was this, He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this? of himself, or of some other man?
35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.
36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?
37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.¹¹
38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.
39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.
40 But Philip was found at Azotus¹²: and passing through he preached in all the cities, till he came to Caesarea.
1 And this man Saul voted to affirm Stephen’s execution. At that same time, a great persecution arose in Jerusalem against the church, and the believers (--especially the Hellenistic ones--) were scattered abroad throughout Judea and Samaria. The apostles, however, remained in Jerusalem.
2 Meanwhile, some devout men carried Stephen out to be buried, and made a great mourning over his passing.
3 As for the man Saul, he became a terror to the church, going from house to house, kicking in doors and hauling men and women off to the dungeons.
4 But those who were scattered abroad proclaimed the message of the Gospel wherever they went.
5 Then Philip went down to a chief city of Samaria and preached the Messiah to the population.
6 And the people, with one heart, accepted what Philip told them when they saw and heard about the miracles he performed.
7 For demon spirits came out shouting from those who were possessed by them, and many suffering debilitating diseases were healed.
8 And there was great joy in that city.
9 But there was a man there named Simon, who had previously been a practitioner of the Black Arts, using sorcery to bewitch people and make a big name for himself.
10 Everyone, from the least to the greatest in that city, listened to his opinions, for they said: This man is the great Power, representing God Himself!
11 They had respected him for a long time, because he had ensnared them with his sorceries.
12 But when they believed the message Philip brought about the Messianic Kingdom and the person and position of Jesus Christ, both men and women were baptized.
13 Then Simon believed as well, and after being baptized joined himself to Philip, and was amazed at the miracles and signs he saw.
14 Now when word reached the apostles back in Jerusalem that Samaria had received the Message of God, they sent Peter and John,
15 Who went down and prayed for the Samaritans to receive the the Holy Spirit.
16 You see, He had not yet fallen upon any of them; they were only baptized (in water) in the name of the Lord Jesus.
17 So they laid their hands upon them, and they received the Holy Spirit.
18 Now when Simon observed that the Holy Spirit had been imparted through the apostles laying hands on the people, he offered them money,
19 Saying: Give me also this power to impart the Holy Spirit on whomever I lay hands upon.
20 But Peter responded: You and your silver can perish together for the gall to think that the gift of God could be purchased with mere money!
21 You have no part in this sort of ministry, because your heart is not right in God’s sight!
22 Repent of your wickedness, and beg God to forgive the evil motivations of your heart if He will!
23 For I perceive that you have fallen prey to a deadly poison, and are bound by sin!
24 Then Simon answered: You two--please pray to the Lord that none of these things you’ve spoken will come upon me!
25 And Peter and John, after testifying and preaching the Message of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, preaching the Gospel in many Samaritan villages as they went.
26 As for Philip, the angel of the Lord spoke to him, and said: Get up and travel south to the desert trail that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.
27 Philip then arose and obeyed, and he chanced to come upon a high court official who oversaw the treasury of the Kandake of Ethiopia. He had come to Jerusalem to worship (at a Festival),
28 And was now returning in a chariot, sitting and reading a scroll of Isaiah the prophet as he went.
29 Then the Spirit told Philip: Go up and walk with this chariot.
30 So Philip ran up to the chariot, listening as the man read from Isaiah. He asked the man: Do you understand what you’re reading?
31 The official replied: How can I, unless someone explains it to me? Then he asked Philip to sit with him in the chariot.
32 The verses of Scripture the eunuch read were these (from Isaiah 53): He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth:
33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away: and who shall declare his generation? for his life is taken from the earth.
34 The official then asked Philip: Tell me--is the prophet speaking about himself, or some other man?
35 Then Philip spoke, and explained how those Scriptures were about Jesus (and how he had been crucified and risen).
36 As they traveled on, they came upon a body of water, and the official said: Look--here is water. What prevents me from being baptized right now?
37 (Philip responded, If you believe with all your heart, then you may. To this, the official replied: I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God!)
38 So he halted the chariot and both men went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.
39 When they were walking out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away so the official saw him no more, and he went on his way home, rejoicing.
40 Philip, meanwhile, found himself in Ashdod, and passing through it and the region, he preached to everyone until he came to the great port of Caesarea.

1. The language here and in chapter 22:20, suggests that Paul may have literally voted to condemn Stephen, which means that he must have been a member of the Great Sanhedrin.

2. This persecution was not wholly an attack on Christianity; it seems to have been a by-product of an overall revolt against hellenism occurring several years after the Crucifixion. It’s during this period that the ruling Shammaiites may have expelled all non-Hebrew Jews and Proselytes from Jerusalem. The Hebrew apostles, it will be noted, remain in the city while the non-Hebrews are forced to leave.

3. Further evidence Paul was not merely a scholar, but that he held some degree of political power.

4. Probably Caesarea.

5. There is in Samaria an ancient heretical sect of Christians called Dositheans, after their founder Dositheus, an early disciple of John the Baptist who led an Essene-type group of 30 disciples. Dositheus may have later been one of the original 70 disciples of Christ. Simon Magus is thought by some to have been a disciple of his, and Dositheus has the distinction of being dubbed the first Christian heretic, although the apocryphal information we have about him comes from later centuries.

Hippolytus, writing in the 3rd century recorded some of his Gnostic-like statements: Of the universal Eons, there are two growths, without beginning or end, springing from one Root, which is the Power, Silence, invisible, inapprehensible. Of these, one appears from above, which is the Great Power, the Universal Mind, ordering all things, male; and the other from below, The Great Thought, female, producing all things. (George Robert Stow Mead--Fragments of a Faith Forgotten.)

6. The first time women are specifically mentioned as being baptized.

7. Although frequently claimed by some--particularly those advancing “Once saved, always saved” doctrine--that Simon wasn’t truly a believer, the word here is the same used throughout the New Testament for those who truly believe and accept Christ. There is thus no textual justification for a claim that Simon had a “said faith, rather than a real faith.”

8. Simon’s request that the apostles pray for him, although frequently criticized, is perfectly consistent with Jewish practices going back to Moses, who was the intercessor for the Israelites.

9. “Eunuch” should be understood as a ‘high court official,’ not that the man was literally a eunuch, for true eunuchs were forbidden from entering the Temple (Deut. 23:1).

10. A transliteration of the Kandake, a title of Ethiopian (Cushite) royalty, not a proper name as Candace is today.

11. Often used as Scriptural verification against the doctrine of infant baptism, for clearly Philip understands that baptism is for those who truly believe in Christ. However, this verse is probably a later addition to the text.

12. Otherwise known as Ashdod, a major (Philistine) city in the Gaza strip south of Joppa. It was listed in Joshua as part of the heritage of Judah, but never actually taken.

CHAPTER 9

CHAPTER 9

1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,¹
2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way², whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven:
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord? And the Lord said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest: it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man.
8 And Saul arose from the earth; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no man: but they led him by the hand, and brought him into Damascus.
9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink.
10 And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias; and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said, Behold, I am here, Lord.
11 And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus: for, behold, he prayeth,
12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight.
13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man, how much evil he hath done to thy saints a Jerusalem:
14 And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call on thy name.
15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way: for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel:
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake.
17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou mightest receive the sight, and be filled with the Holy Ghost.³
18 And immediately there fell from his eyes as it had been scales: and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized.
19 And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. Then was Saul certain days with the disciples which were at Damascus.
20 And straightway he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God.
21 But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests?⁴
22 But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.
23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him:⁵
24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him.
25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.
26 And when Saul was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, and believed not that he was a disciple.
27 But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus.
28 And he was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem.
29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians⁶: but they went about to slay him.
30 Which when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus.
31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied.⁷
32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda.⁸
33 And there he found a certain man named Aeneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy.
34 And Peter said unto him, Aeneas, Jesus Christ maketh thee whole: arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately.
35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, and turned to the Lord.
36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds which she did.
37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died: whom when they had washed⁹, they laid her in an upper chamber.
38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and the disciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them.
39 Then Peter arose and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with them.
40 But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.
41 And he gave her his hand, and lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows, presented her alive.
42 And it was known throughout all Joppa; and many believed in the Lord.
43 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner.
1 Meanwhile Saul, fanatically vowing to root out and slay the followers of the Lord, went to Caiaphas, the High Priest,
2 And asked him for documents appointing him as an inquisitor to the Damascus synagogues, and giving him the authority to bring back in chains any men or women who were followers of “the Way.”
3 So he departed with these, and as he was approaching Damascus, suddenly the radiance from heaven shined round about him.
4 And he fell to the ground and heard a voice saying: Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me?
5 He answered it: Who are you, Sir? And the Lord said back to him: I am Jesus, the one you’re persecuting. You are wasting your time, butting your head against a wall! (For you will not overcome my church!)
6 Then Saul, trembling in fear and astonishment, said: Lord, what do you want me to do? So the Lord said back to him: Get up and go into the city, and you’ll be told what to do.
7 Meanwhile, the men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the sounds of a voice but seeing no man.
8 And Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he was blind, and his traveling companions led him by the hand into Damascus.
9 And for three days he was blind, and took neither food nor drink.
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and the Lord said to him in a vision: Ananias! So he answered: Behold, I am here, Lord!
11 And the Lord said to him: Get up, go to Straight street, and ask at the house of Judah for a man called Saul, from the city of Tarsus, who is praying even now,
12 And has seen a vision of a man named Ananias coming and putting his hand upon him to restore his sight.
13 Then Ananias replied: Lord--I have heard from many about this man, and all the evil he has done to your righteous in Jerusalem;
14 And here he has the authority from the chief priests to apprehend all who call upon you as Lord here in Damascus.
15 But the Lord answered: Go! For he is a chosen vessel of mine, to proclaim who and what I am to the Gentiles, to kings, and to the children of Israel!
16 For I will show him how greatly he will have to suffer for the sake of who and what I am.
17 So Ananias went as he was told, and came into the house of Judah; and laying hands on Saul, he said: Brother Saul, the Lord--even Jesus--who appeared to you as you traveled here, has sent me so your sight may be restored, and that you might be filled with the Holy Spirit.
18 And immediately, it was as if scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. Then he arose, and was ba