Acts 8–9

1And Saul was there, giving approval to Stephen’s death. On that day a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria.

2God-fearing men buried Stephen and mourned deeply over him.

3But Saul began to destroy the church. Going from house to house, he dragged off men and women and put them in prison.

4Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.

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

6The crowds all paid close attention to Philip’s message and to the signs they saw him perform.

7With loud shrieks, unclean spirits came out of many who were possessed, and many of the paralyzed and lame were healed.

8So there was great joy in that city.

9Prior to that time, a man named Simon had practiced sorcery in the city and astounded the people of Samaria. He claimed to be someone great,

10and all the people, from the least to the greatest, heeded his words and said, “This man is the divine power called the Great Power.”

11They paid close attention to him because he had astounded them for a long time with his sorcery.

12But when they believed Philip as he preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women.

13Even Simon himself believed and was baptized. He followed Philip closely and was astounded by the great signs and miracles he observed.

14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John to them.

15On their arrival, they prayed for them to receive the Holy Spirit.

16For the Holy Spirit had not yet fallen upon any of them; they had simply been baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus.

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

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

19“Give me this power as well,” he said, “so that everyone on whom I lay my hands may receive the Holy Spirit.”

20But Peter replied, “May your silver perish with you, because you thought you could buy the gift of God with money!

21You have no part or share in our ministry, because your heart is not right before God.

22Repent, therefore, of your wickedness, and pray to the Lord. Perhaps He will forgive you for the intent of your heart.

23For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.”

24Then Simon answered, “Pray to the Lord for me, so that nothing you have said may happen to me.”

25And after Peter and John had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, they returned to Jerusalem, preaching the gospel in many of the Samaritan villages.

26Now an angel of the Lord said to Philip, “Get up and go south to the desert road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza.”

27So he started out, and on his way he met an Ethiopian eunuch, a court official in charge of the entire treasury of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. He had gone to Jerusalem to worship,

28and on his return was sitting in his chariot reading Isaiah the prophet.

29The Spirit said to Philip, “Go over to that chariot and stay by it.”

30So Philip ran up and heard the man reading Isaiah the prophet. “Do you understand what you are reading?” Philip asked.

31“How can I,” he said, “unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.

32The eunuch was reading this passage of Scripture: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and as a lamb before the shearer is silent, so He did not open His mouth.

33In His humiliation He was deprived of justice. Who can recount His descendants? For His life was removed from the earth.”

34“Tell me,” said the eunuch, “who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?”

35Then Philip began with this very Scripture and told him the good news about Jesus.

36As they traveled along the road and came to some water, the eunuch said, “Look, here is water! What is there to prevent me from being baptized?”

37Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”

38And he gave orders to stop the chariot. Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him.

39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord carried Philip away, and the eunuch saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing.

40But Philip appeared at Azotus and traveled through that region, preaching the gospel in all the towns until he came to Caesarea.

1Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the disciples of the Lord. He approached the high priest

2and requested letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any men or women belonging to the Way, he could bring them as prisoners to Jerusalem.

3As Saul drew near to Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.

4He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”

5“Who are You, Lord?” Saul asked. “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting,” He replied.

6“Now get up and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.”

7The men traveling with Saul stood there speechless. They heard the voice but did not see anyone.

8Saul got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes he could not see a thing. So they led him by the hand into Damascus.

9For three days he was without sight, and he did not eat or drink anything.

10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. The Lord spoke to him in a vision, “Ananias!” “Here I am, Lord,” he answered.

11“Get up!” the Lord told him. “Go to the house of Judas on Straight Street and ask for a man from Tarsus named Saul, for he is praying.

12In a vision he has seen a man named Ananias come and place his hands on him to restore his sight.”

13But Ananias answered, “Lord, many people have told me about this man and all the harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem.

14And now he is here with authority from the chief priests to arrest all who call on Your name.”

15“Go!” said the Lord. “This man is My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings, and before the people of Israel.

16I will show him how much he must suffer for My name.”

17So Ananias went to the house, and when he arrived, he placed his hands on Saul. “Brother Saul,” he said, “the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here, has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

18At that instant, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and his sight was restored. He got up and was baptized,

19and after taking some food, he regained his strength. And he spent several days with the disciples in Damascus.

20Saul promptly began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, declaring, “He is the Son of God.”

21All who heard him were astounded and asked, “Isn’t this the man who wreaked havoc in Jerusalem on those who call on this name? And hasn’t he come here to take them as prisoners to the chief priests?”

22But Saul was empowered all the more, and he confounded the Jews living in Damascus by proving that Jesus is the Christ.

23After many days had passed, the Jews conspired to kill him,

24but Saul learned of their plot. Day and night they watched the city gates in order to kill him.

25One night, however, his disciples took him and lowered him in a basket through a window in the wall.

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

27Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who had spoken to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus.

28So Saul stayed with them, moving about freely in Jerusalem and speaking boldly in the name of the Lord.

29He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him.

30When the brothers learned of this, they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

31Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced a time of peace. It grew in strength and numbers, living in the fear of the Lord and the encouragement of the Holy Spirit.

32As Peter traveled throughout the area, he went to visit the saints in Lydda.

33There he found a man named Aeneas who had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years.

34“Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus Christ heals you! Get up and put away your mat.” Immediately Aeneas got up,

35and all who lived in Lydda and Sharon saw him and turned to the Lord.

36In Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which is translated as Dorcas), who was always occupied with works of kindness and charity.

37At that time, however, she became sick and died, and her body was washed and placed in an upper room.

38Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to urge him, “Come to us without delay.”

39So Peter got up and went with them. On his arrival, they took him to the upper room. All the widows stood around him, weeping and showing him the tunics and other clothing that Dorcas had made while she was still with them.

40Then Peter sent them all out of the room. He knelt down and prayed, and turning toward her body, he said, “Tabitha, get up!” She opened her eyes, and seeing Peter, she sat up.

41Peter took her by the hand and helped her up. Then he called the saints and widows and presented her to them alive.

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

43And Peter stayed for several days in Joppa with a tanner named Simon.